Crumbling Defenses
by battleshipxx101
Summary: Following the events of the finale, the team is now trying to do the job they were left with. As they try to rebuild SHIELD, a looming threat continues to lurk around the team, especially Skye. With SHIELD's status now, they need all the allies they could possibly get. But what if some of those allies were once the enemies? / Will involve Skyeward as a central pairing.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hellooo everybody! :D So, after I don't know how long, I'm back! Some stuff happened throughout these last few months and also school just started (we have it from June-March). Long story short, I haven't had a chance to write fanfics anymore. :( But anyway, finally I managed to find some spare time to dedicate to fandom entirely after being detached for the longest time. And so, I got the chance to start this idea for a Skyeward fic that I've been wanting to write for so long already. **

**Apart from that, I'd love to hear how all the fans and Skyeward shippers are doing now that we're on break. Feel free to message me if you want to share anything! :)**

**I hope you guys like this start. :) :) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel's Agents of SHIELD.**

* * *

CHAPTER 1:

_Ward_

My first month in jail was different than what I expected. I had already prepared myself for the series of interrogations to come, maybe a few beatings even, but none came.

And that was a much worse torture.

No one came to demand all my knowledge about HYDRA. No one came to tell me what I was expecting in the future. No one came to me to reiterate all my wrongdoings and the punishments I had to face. No one came.

Then, one day, I heard the sound of my cage door open. I looked up from where I was lying on the hard cot, but didn't bother standing or sitting up. The room was separated into two sides by heavy metal bars. On my side, there was a bed, though I could hardly call it that; a small faucet and a flat mount connected to the metal bars where my food was placed. There were no windows, except the one on the door itself, so it was dark most of the time.

An aging man stood by the bars and continued to stare at me observantly. Moments later, he spoke.

"Can you talk, Grant?" He asked me.

I scoffed to myself. _Of course. The one thing that everyone wants to rub in is the fact that I can't talk anymore._

"I'll ask again," he stated when I didn't answer. "Can you talk, Grant?"

I debated with myself whether I should try. If my injury wasn't permanent and I managed to talk then, it would be a huge relief. But if it was and I just croaked, it would be another stab of humiliation for me and pride for them. _What a punishment._

Still, the curiosity kept eating me. For a month, never have I spoken to anyone, so I didn't know myself either if my throat healed or not.

_Screw it. This doctor's not gonna leave me alone either way._

I sat up from the bed, stared emotionlessly at the man, and opened my mouth.

"I.." I croaked. My own voice surprised me. I spoke a word! But how much can I speak? "I…think…so…" My voice sounded very hoarse and gruff, but I was glad I could still talk.

The man nodded at me. "Well, it seems the fracture on your larynx has healed, though not fully yet, but you'll get there. Give it a few weeks at least."

I nodded curtly at him. He was smiling at me for some reason and the sight was confusing. Was he glad to see that the Cavalry really lived up to everyone's expectations of her when it came to beating someone up? Or was he just…glad?

"Well, I would suggest you grab that cup of water and drink up before we get started." He said to me. I walked to the metallic mount and picked up the plastic cup. Of course, I wasn't allowed to handle objects which I could use to kill myself, such as glass. I quickly finished the contents of the cup and placed it down again. The man smiled at me.

"Alright, Grant. Why don't you take a seat?" He told me, and I did so. "First off, my name is Doctor Peter Ornett and I'm here to evaluate you in the coming weeks."

"Why?" I asked. My voice was slightly better than the first time I used it.

"Well, I have my orders not to tell you unless I've determined your loyalty. We shall be starting tomorrow. I just came by to see whether you could talk."

Then, he stood up from his chair and opened the door. "I'll see you first thing tomorrow."

* * *

The morning after came and I was where I had been yesterday. My throat was still in the same state but it was better than being mute forever. Dr. Ornett was sitting across from me in the other side of the room. He raised his clipboard and brought out a pen.

"Shall we get started?" He cleared his throat before continuing. "Where do your loyalties lie?" _The million dollar question._

"I have none anymore. I was loyal to Garrett, but now he's dead." I shrugged.

"How did you become loyal to him?"

"He saved me when I was a teenager. I owed everything to him." My own voice sounded both raspy and robotic to me.

"Let's talk about your past…"

* * *

And the talks went on, twice each week. Another month came. And then, another. All I did was go through all those psychoanalytic questions.

"He made me do it. He made me set my little brother's room on fire, even if I knew he was inside." My eyes were stinging. My voice could barely be heard. And I was sure the bed frame could collapse from my hold at its side. I could feel my chest tightening more and more by the second, until my breathing became constricted. The next thing I heard were my gasps, and my cage gate opening. The last thing I saw was my doctor hovering over me as he pushed me down the bed and injected me using a syringe.

Then, everything disappeared.

When I woke up, it was dark again. I didn't know what time it was. I never did, but the air was cold and my heart was racing.

My chest was relieved of the pain, but I wasn't. I could still see everything I recalled today. All those painful memories. All those bloody moments. I could still hear the piercing screams of my brother, and the monstrous laughs of my older brother and my father.

I grabbed my pillow and collapsed on the bed once more with eyes shut tight. I wanted it to go away. I wanted everything to go away, but it never did. I was forced to feel every single detail.

Maybe this was my torture. Maybe they were breaking me. I didn't know anymore. All I knew was pain. Everything hurt. Every thought hurt.

* * *

The doctor walked through the dimly lit hallway until he reached the room where he was being expected.

"Good evening, Director." He shook hands with the visitor and they both took their seats opposite each other.

"Any update?"

"Well, I'd say he's changed this month. When we first started the sessions, he was always willing to give all the answers. But upon your insistence, I tried seeing how far he could go when talking about his past."

"And how far was that?"

"Barely a step. It tortures him to think about all those bad painful memories. He crumbles every time I ask him about a certain memory. Sometimes he rages, but most of the time, he just collapses and cries from the emotions."

Coulson pursed his lips and nodded.

"I always sedate him when he loses control." The doctor added. "He's already broken, Director. He's been controlled all his life, starting from his parents to his brother. John Garrett may have helped him escape all that but he put Ward in another kind of misery. The boy forgot how to live his own life, without anyone ordering him around."

"What do you suggest we do?"

"Well, I would have to continue with the sessions until we're sure he's stable." Dr. Ornett replied. "But, Director, I'm requesting that you transfer him to my facility. It's secure and it'll allow him to have some time outside of his cell. I can arrange for a convoy to bring him there."

Coulson thought for a moment before responding. "I'll give the green light as soon as I can. Keep me posted."

"Sure thing." They shook hands before Coulson left the prison.

* * *

Coulson made his way to the parking in front of the gray building. It was a really old SHIELD base back in the 80's, and it was shut down when a bombing happened. Now, it served as an isolated prison for the newly-captured HYDRA prisoners, including Ward.

Only two cars were in the parking. One was the shiny red Corvette, and the other was an all-black van with now windows. Coulson rode his car and drove away from that place. Half an hour later, his phone rang. Coulson pulled it out of his pocket and answered.

"Coulson," he greeted.

"Hey, it's me." May's voice was heard from the other end. "Are you heading back yet?"

"Yeah, I'm half an hour away. How's everything there?"

"Nothing new," she reported. "Simmons still hasn't left the infirmary. Skye and Triplett are still working."

They agreed that nothing specific would be mentioned over the phones, since they weren't sure who was listening.

"Alright. I'll see you all soon." He hung up the phone.

* * *

**A/N: Okay so far? I hope so. I have school for the next few days, but I'll still try to upload the next chapter really soon. xx**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hi hi! I've got a stack of books and a long list of tasks to do right beside me but I wanted to publish this already in case I delay for the next one. I did my best to proofread this several times so I hope I didn't miss any errors. xD**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

CHAPTER 2:

_Skye_

It was close to nine in the evening, and Coulson wasn't back yet. I wondered what was taking so long. I knew I shouldn't worry too much, but it already became a habit of mine whenever someone left the base. May said that she just talked to Coulson, so I should calm down.

I focused on the task assigned to me and Trip. When we settled here at the base, I found an encrypted message on the computer and Coulson tasked me to decrypt it so we could find out what else Fury left us with. It had taken me two days already, but the decryption still wasn't cracked. I was getting more and more frustrated every time I reached a dead end and a "Failed to Access" alert.

I haven't seen Jemma all day either or all week. She's been beside Fitz ever since we got to the Playground. It turned out that this base was somewhere in Long Island. Apparently, it was called "playground" because it was located on an island, and according to Agent Billy Koenig, the sand reminded him of a sandbox of a playground, thus came the name.

Still weird, though. Seeing a second Koenig. It's like one big reminder that the other one was dead, by the hands of our own former teammate.

I froze up again, feeling the anger inside me, waiting to escape.

_Calm down, Skye._

I'd have to beat up the punching bag again later, when the nightmares come.

"Yo, Skye, you alright?"

My head turned to my right side, and I saw Trip casting me a worried look.

"I'm fine. I just remembered something."

Trip nodded, but didn't say anything else. Everyone knew what that meant, and none of them pushed me into voicing out whatever I was thinking. I was grateful for the space they all have been giving me since the start.

_Since I was the one badly affected and all._ I thought bitterly.

I had to stop acting like a hurt puppy. We were all betrayed, and I had no right to act as if they whole world was about me.

At exactly nine, the monitors of the base alerted us that Coulson was here. I quickly went to the entrance and watched the heavy metal door lift.

"Welcome back," I joked.

Coulson smiled at me. "How'd the search go?" We talked as we made our way to the common lounge.

"Well, Trip and I managed to access the second level of encryption, but we're still a bit far from unlocking the third and last level."

"How long do you think before you can finish it?" He asked.

"Trip's been running a pattern recognition program to find out the code. I'm estimating it'll be done by tomorrow morning, if we keep it running all night. Once we know the pattern, I can easily complete the decryption."

"Alright. Leave it for the night, then." He told me. "Get some rest."

He went straight to the kitchen, leaving me standing there in the middle of the lounge. The question I wanted to ask was stuck in my throat. I wanted to know how it went, but I wasn't supposed to care. I've been raging on myself so many times for always straying to thoughts of him. I was supposed to forget everything related to him. I needed to stop the pain I was causing myself.

"Skye?" Coulson called my attention. "Everything alright?"

I regained my composure and gave him a tight smile. "Yeah. I'll go ahead and get some rest."

_Though I doubt I'd be getting any sleep again._

* * *

As expected, the nightmares came again. It was another scene of the team getting hurt and killed by my parents. Every single night, I'd gotten used to waking up at 2 or 3 in the morning and heading down the gym to beat up the bag. And I knew for sure everyone knew it.

_I guess the eye bags on my face give it away._

But tonight, there was something different about the bad dream. This time, someone I didn't expect to watch die was there. And the thing was, I felt so broken at seeing him suffer and die.

_Why do I still care!?_ The tears started to form in my eyes again, so I ran to my cabinet as fast as I could and grabbed workout clothes. I hurried to the gym and focused all my emotions into destroying the hard black bag.

An hour passed and I was far from done. I could feel the anger and frustrations inside. I wanted to scream and break down. I wanted to cry and destroy everything.

_Pull yourself together, Skye! _The first voice said.

_I can't. _A smaller voice answered, and though it was the weaker voice, I felt its huge wave of emotion more than that of the first voice. It hurt. My breathing was becoming constricted again, and I had to lean my forehead against the punching bag and hold on to its sides with both hands.

And then, I let myself break down.

Big fat tears cascaded down my face, pooling slowly at my feet. Some of them were caught by the fabric of my shirt, and I didn't stop crying.

I raised my fist and hit the bag again. My punch was weak once more.

_Weak! _I heard the voice shout in my head. I punched again. Harder. Stronger. Punch after punch, I delivered as I continued to cry my heart out.

I didn't know how long it took, but the next thing I knew, I was on the ground hugging my knees. I was still sobbing like a baby, but I wasn't making any move to pull myself together.

I needed to let it all out. I needed to _forget._

But it was so hard.

How could you do it? How could you force yourself to delete every good memory, every drop of feeling you had and just _move on_?

I wanted nothing more than to wipe out all those moments, then maybe it wouldn't hurt so much anymore, but I couldn't find a way to. I kept clinging and clinging to the hope that things would be okay soon, but my own self wouldn't make them okay.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid! Weak!_

I fell in love. I _fucking _fell in love. What was worse than that? Falling in love with a man who didn't even exist! Falling in love with a man who wasn't real! That man was a fake, a lie, a goddamn cover!

And I was stupid enough to let a cover break my heart.

"I'll be fine." I told myself after a while. The tears have stopped from falling, and my breathing was slowly going back to normal.

"I'll be fine." I said to myself again. I had to be. I had a job. I still had responsibilities despite all the shit that has happened. Even worse things were happening and people were in danger. I had to focus on my task.

I've been causing myself more pain by being so goddamn emotional and hurt by this. I hated it. I didn't want to cry anymore. I didn't want to be so attached anymore. I had to let go and I had to direct all my energy, especially the anger, towards my job now.

_Maybe that's how I could forget. _

I looked at the clock and saw that it was half past three already. An hour from now, May would be up to do Tai Chi. I stood up, headed to the kitchen, and grabbed a cup of water. Then, I went to the bathroom to clean my face up. I took one glance at the mirror and saw the same tired face I've been seeing every night after the nightmares. I gently splashed water on myself and once I was done, I headed to the dining room where I left my laptop running.

I sat down and checked the progress of the program we've been running and found out that we got the code. I immediately started working on completing the decryption.

About half an hour later, I was too focused on my work that I jumped out of my skin when May placed a steaming cup of coffee beside me.

"Sorry," she said.

"It's okay. Um, thanks." I replied, returning my attention to the screen.

"You're up early." She noted. "Again."

I shrugged.

"Everything okay?"

I turned around and looked at the older woman. "Yeah, I mean, not _okay-okay_ since we are facing a global threat, but everything's fine."

She narrowed her eyes slightly at me. "With you, I mean."

I sighed in defeat. There was no use in hiding. Practically everyone knew what I've been going through, as much as I hated it, and maybe opening up a bit instead of pushing everyone away was okay.

I gave May a sad smile. "Nightmares."

She gave me a half-knowing, half-pitying look. "If you want to talk, Skye, I'm always around."

"I know, but I can handle this. As much as I appreciate it, I intend not to make this a bigger deal for me than it already is. But, I promise that if I do need to share, I'll go to you."

She smiled at me before nodding and departing from the dining room to start her Tai Chi. As I turned back to my laptop, I found myself lost in thoughts again. But this time, there were no tears. Just the assurance that things were gonna be okay because right now, I was surrounded by people who care about me deeply, and that's all I needed.

* * *

**A/N: Hope it's still okay! :) Will update as soon as I can. xx**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the delay on this chapter. School was really hectic and all. Anyway, I hope you like this new update. :) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

CHAPTER 3:

_Ward_

They came again last night.

It's been the fourth time this week that I've been seeing her in my dreams. As soon as I woke up though, I remembered that they're just a side effect of desperation.

I wanted to see her so badly. But then, I wondered what it would be like. Sometimes I liked to think that it was better she didn't visit me. Maybe then, I wouldn't have to see so much hate and anger on her face. Maybe then, I would have those precious warm smiles and melodious laughs to remember her by. Maybe it was better that way.

But the ache inside me remained despite everything. I couldn't ignore it however hard I tried. It was eating me up slowly, and I couldn't do anything about it.

_Skye._ We could've been…but no. I couldn't let myself think that. If I let myself stray to those kinds of thoughts, then I'd be done. I would go crazy because of the amount of pain it would cause me.

But I did miss her. So much. I missed her smile. I missed her laugh. I missed the way she would call me by my first name. I missed the times we had together, especially those involving a game of battleship. I missed it when she would incessantly make jokes and taunt me about everything. What I wouldn't give to have another moment with her, without the influence of the things that have happened.

Suddenly, a memory flashed before my eyes and I felt like I had left the prison cell.

_The team had just finished another mission in Paris, and since it was a successful one, Skye had begged Coulson for a few hours of sight-seeing. Coulson agreed, under the condition that she didn't go far from the airstrip and that she was accompanied by someone. She immediately asked FitzSimmons to go with her and so, they were gone for a few hours, until Coulson had called them back._

_I could remember the huge beaming smile she wore when she returned to the Bus. She was ecstatic because she went to this café that she wanted so badly to visit and bought herself a treat in the form of a cake. Afterwards, the Bus took off and we headed back. Throughout the week, I kept seeing that little purple box inside the fridge. Skye hadn't touched it yet. She said she was saving it until she couldn't take it anymore. _

_"__Well, you better eat it before it goes bad." I told her._

_She just did the most mature thing she could and stuck her tongue out at me._

_It took another couple of days before she finally gave in. It was after another tiring mission that required us to bring in another gifted who got on SHIELD's radar in a bad way. We were so exhausted that night, especially Skye because she was the one who chased after the gifted one since we were all occupied with beating the crap out of the guards. _

_And so, as soon as we were back on the plane, she quickly went to clean herself up, declaring that she could use that dessert right now._

_I watched her make her way to the kitchen, take out the cake box and place the dessert on a small plate on the counter. I followed in there to grab a bottle of water. _

_"__This looks so good. I wanna take a picture of this," she mumbled before leaving to get her phone from her bunk. I was still scanning the contents of the fridge to see what I could eat. I heard her return and pick up the plate again. I stood back up rather hastily and turned around too fast that I didn't realize what was happening until my chest had already bumped into something. The next thing I knew, my body was pressed against hers. My heart skipped a beat when I realized she was holding the plate of cake in front of her. In the next second, I saw the dessert fly and heard the plate crash into pieces on the floor._

_My jaw dropped in shock as I saw her watch her precious cake fly from the plate. Her vision turned back to me after a moment, and I swore that her expression was the most terrifying thing I ever saw. She looked murderously at me, and I was frozen in my spot._

_"__Shit," I breathed out._

_"__GRANT. DOUGLAS. WARD. I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU!" She gritted through her teeth. I backed up a few steps as I saw her clench her fists tightly. I felt the hair on my neck all stand up, and I instinctively held up my hands halfway._

_"__Oh god. Skye, I–I um, I'm–I'm so–" I couldn't even form a coherent sentence._

_"–__DEAD!"__She cut me off._

_"__I didn't mean to! I swear I–"_

_"__YOU KNEW WHAT THAT CAKE MEANT TO ME, WARD! YOU KNEW I WAS SAVING THAT!" She took a few steps closer while she angrily shouted._

_"__I know, I know," I said. "I'm sorry! I didn't know you were there!" It was ironic how afraid I was then. I was so scared of what she might do to me because by the look on her face she was absolutely ready to murder me right there, and if that wasn't bad enough, we were standing in the kitchen, thereby making a couple dozen murder weapons available within her reach._

_"__YOU. ARE. DEAD!" She yelled._

_"__I'm sorry! I–I'll–I'll get you a new one! I promise!" I tried to tell her, and I had every intention of keeping that promise. _

_"__A NEW ONE!?" Her voice made me flinch and back up another step. "Oh that's just perfect! Let's go get a new cake from a bakeshop nearby to make up for the one THAT CAME FROM PARIS!"_

_And with that, she stormed away and went to her bunk. I was still in the same spot as our other teammates came to investigate what just happened._

_I heard Coulson go down from his office. A minute later, he appeared in front of the counter looking confused._

_"__What in the world happened here? What was the shouting all about?" He asked me. I blinked and swallowed before focusing my attention to our boss._

_"__I–" Before I could answer however, the scientists had arrived at the scene looking just as baffled as Coulson was._

_"__What the hell, Ward?" Fitz asked._

_"__It sounded as if there was a shouting contest here! Care to explain?" Simmons added._

_"__I–"_

_"__Spit it out, Agent Ward." Coulson cut off._

_"__Well, Skye was gonna eat the cake she got from Paris, but I accidentally bumped into her while she was holding it so it kind of fell to the floor." _

_I watched warily as FitzSimmons' eyes widened in shock and their jaws dropped. Coulson, however, looked perfectly calm, despite the frown he was wearing._

_"__You…did…WHAT!?" Fitz half-yelled._

_"__I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do it. It was an accident!"_

_"__I swear you are so stupid sometimes, Agent Ward." Jemma sent me a disapproving and disappointed look. "She was saving up that cake!"_

_"__I know that!" I didn't need them telling me how big of a mistake the whole thing was. I knew I was dead. I knew I had to make up for what I did._

_"__Okay, calm down, everybody." Coulson told us. "FitzSimmons, go back to the lab and finish up your work so you can get some rest. Ward, clean up this mess."_

_His order was double-meaning, and we both knew what it meant. I had to make this right, or Skye wouldn't look at me for the rest of my life. I knew it was just a cake, but I also saw how happy it made her when she got it, and how precious it was to her that she saved it for so long. _

_The next day, I knew she hasn't cooled down yet so I let her skip training that morning. I was surprised, however, when I found her beating the crap out of the punching bag downstairs. She ignored me the whole day and practically the whole week. The only conversation we had was when it involved a mission, and when we were discussing tactics in training. Even the latter one involved some bitterness on her part. Otherwise, I let her be. By the end of the week though, I found an opportunity to make up for the accident._

_We were landing at the Hub because Coulson was needed in a briefing meeting that couldn't be done via phone call. FitzSimmons invited Skye to go with them to the Science Lab. Before we separated, I immediately went to Coulson._

_"__I know what you're going to say, Ward." He told me just as I was about to speak. My eyebrows rose up in confusion. Coulson looked at me and gave me a small smile._

_"__I'm…not sure I understand, sir." I said._

_"__I know what you're going to ask me," He stated. "And here's my answer, just make sure you get the right one." With that, he left me standing there dumbstruck in the middle of his office. So, when everyone was gone, I let myself in the cockpit and left the place. _

_I landed in Paris at around two in the afternoon. I drove off in the SUV and looked for the bakeshop that Skye had bought the cake from. After the fight in the kitchen, I got the box and kept it since I really was going to fly back to Paris to buy her another cake. It took me almost an hour to find the shop, and when I did, I wasted no time in ordering the cake. Afterwards, I drove back to the airstrip and got the plane running again, after placing the little box in the fridge. I flew back to the Hub._

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, no the flashback isn't done yet of course. I couldn't resist a bit of fluff. It's been so angsty all the time so I decided to come up with something that would rot your teeth in sweetness. Teehee. Hope you guys liked it! I shall update as soon as I can. The weekend's coming so, I may have some spare time. :) Also, thanks for reading! I know there are a lot of redemption stories for Skyeward and it's not really a bad thing. I personally love the idea that shippers are looking deeper into their characters and forming the redemption stories that would somehow be fitting for them. Thanks also to those people who leave comments! 3 xx**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Helloo people! I know it's been a while since I last updated. :( Sorry about that. School. :/ Also, I'm pretty sure you've watched the panels at SDCC this year and all the interviews of the amazing cast. Should you need to rant about how Chloe is totally captaining our ship, my inbox is free. :)**

**This chapter picks up from Ward's flashback! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

CHAPTER 4:

_Ward_

Remembering it, I wondered what drove me to be so determined to make things right with her. I could've just apologized and dealt with the silent treatment for a week, and then I could've just confronted her about it and told her that she was being unreasonable. But I didn't. And I didn't even think of that. I only thought of making it up to her, and...

_Making her smile again._ The realization hit me. I was already in love with this girl, and I didn't know it. I was willing to do anything to make her happy. That incident was proof of that. Suddenly, a small smile formed on my lips, and I knew my mood was now changed, like it always was whenever I remembered her. I sighed and let my body fall back on the bed. I folded my arms and placed them under my head and resumed remembering the memory again.

_My phone rang and I quickly picked it up._

_"__Where are you?" Coulson asked me._

_"__About to land inside the Hub, why?"_

_"__We're on our way there. We're leaving as soon as we arrive."_

_"__Alright. Are the others with you?"_

_"__Yes," He answered._

_"__Okay." I hung up the phone and in a few minutes, I landed the plane. I quickly lowered the ramp and pretended to wait there for the others._

_When they arrived, none of them acknowledged me except Coulson. _

_"__How long have you been waiting here?" He pretended to ask._

_"__Over an hour, I suppose." I answered. The others went upstairs. I closed the ramp, and turned to Coulson._

_"__Did you get it?" He asked._

_"__Yeah," I replied._

_"__Good luck." He smiled at me before going upstairs as well. I smiled to myself before heading to my bunk. I let the night go by instead of surprising her immediately. _

_Around four in the afternoon the next day, I found her sitting in the dining room, her laptop resting on the table in front of her. Her attention was concentrated on it._

_"__Hey," I greeted._

_She didn't glance up from her laptop, but she distractedly muttered, "Hey." _

_"__What's keeping you so busy?" _

_She answered back. "Paperwork. And I hate it."_

_"__Paperwork on what?"_

_"__The latest upgrades I did on the Bus's mainframe. Agent Hill wants me to file a report about it. I've been at it for a couple of hours already, but I'm only halfway done." She leaned back on her chair and rubbed her eyes. _

_"__Take a break." I told her. "You don't have to finish it one sitting."_

_She sighed. I went to the kitchen and started to make some iced coffee. After a few minutes, I produced two cold glasses of the beverage. Skye instantly stood up to see what I was doing._

_"__That smells good." She commented. I smiled at her before taking the glasses with me and placing them on the table where she sat. _

_"__Here," I handed her one. "I'll go get some food."_

_She took a small sip of the drink before placing it back down. Her back was to me, so I didn't have to hide what I was about to do. I opened the fridge, got the small purple box and a clear plastic container. I transferred the cake gently onto a small plate. I got my sandwich out of the container and placed it on another plate. Then, I microwaved it for a minute. _

_Afterwards, I walked back to the table, standing on a spot where only one of my hands could be seen. I placed down the sandwich plate first. Skye instantly smiled. _

_"__What's this?"_

_"__That's a sandwich."_

_She rolled her eyes at me. Then, I brought out my other hand and placed the second plate in front of her. I watched her expression change from confusion to surprise._

_"__What–" She looked at me expectantly._

_"__As promised, enjoy." I said as I took my place beside her. _

_"__Where did you get this?" Her face was all lit-up and astonished. _

_I shrugged but I was still smiling. I took half of the sandwich, but before I could take a bite, Skye smacked my arm._

_"__Ward! Don't you eat that sandwich while I'm talking to you!"_

_I chuckled at her. "What?"_

_"__Where did you get this cake?" She asked me again, but I only gave her a guilty smirk. "Tell me you didn't fly all the way to Paris just to get me this."_

_I watched her adorable face before answering. "Well, I did destroy your dessert so…"_

_She looked at the cake and then back at me. "You really did fly to Paris? When?"_

_"__When you were all at the Hub. I took the plane and flew."_

_"__But…why?"_

_"__You loved that cake, even if it's just a cake. And I saw how happy you were when you got back from the bakery, and I knew you'd never forgive me for what I did so, I got you the cake."_

_She laughed at me, and that's when I realized how much I missed that laugh. "Ward! I can't believe you just did that for me." _

_I rolled my eyes. "It's no big deal."_

_"__Are you kidding me?" She said. "Yes it is! You flew all the way to Paris and back just because I was upset about a cake. Why'd you do that? You knew I'd get over it eventually."_

_"__Sure, but I couldn't wait that long to see you happy again. Plus, I don't like you being angry at me all the time. It doesn't feel right." I said honestly._

_We stared at each other for a moment. _

_"__Thank you." She finally said._

_"__So am I off the hook now? Can I now sleep knowing you won't murder me?" I teased._

_She hit me playfully in the arm again. "I wasn't gonna murder you."_

_"__Did you see your face when I dropped that cake?"_

_"__No, but did you see _your_ face when you dropped that cake?"_

_"__No, why?" I asked. _

_"__You were like a scared little girl." She laughed at me._

_"__Whatever you say, Rookie." I felt great. It was like I could breathe again after so long. Almost a week and a half of bitterness and professional conversations, I was beginning to miss the sarcastic cheerful rookie I knew and liked. I didn't dare admit it but I did like her that way. That was what makes her my Skye._

_We proceeded to eat our snacks, but after a while, Skye stood up and grabbed a fork in the kitchen. She insisted that I taste the cake, and while I kept saying that it was for her, she refused to eat anymore until I took a bite, so I did. It _was_ delicious. We ended up sharing the cake and the sandwich. We talked for an hour while we ate. It was a great feeling, knowing that all is right again. When we were finished, I proceeded to clean up._

_"__Do you want some help?" She asked._

_ "__No, it's fine. I got this."_

_"__God, that cake was so good. I wish I had another one." She said after I was done washing the plates. We were now sitting across each other in the lounge. I was reading a book and she was working again. I smirked at her, and put my book down._

_"__Wish granted." I mumbled. _

_"__What?" She stopped typing. "What'd you say?"_

_"__Huh? Nothing."_

_She looked at me suspiciously before resuming her work. A few minutes passed and Fitz made his way up from the lab, saying something about feeling starved. From where we sat, we could hear him rummaging around the kitchen. _

_"__Hey Skye?" He called._

_"__Yeah, what?" She raised her head and looked at him. _

_"__I thought the cake from Paris was gone?"_

_My eyes widened. Skye looked confused as she tried to make sense of what Fitz was saying._

_"__What do you mean? It was gone, yeah. And Ward got me a new one, which we ate earlier."_

_"__Then, what's this?" I turned my head around and saw Fitz holding the second purple box in front of him. Skye's head tilted to the side. _

_"__What's that?"_

_Fitz opened the lid. "Looks like the cake you bought in Paris."_

_Skye turned to look at me. "Ward?"_

_I decided the best way to respond to this situation was to leave immediately. "Um, you know what, I think I'll go take a shower." I stood up quickly and ran to the bathroom._

_"__What? Wait hold on." She was so baffled and lost._

_I flashed her a smile and a wink before hurriedly going to the bathroom. _

_"__GRANT DOUGLAS WARD, COME BACK HERE!" She scrambled to remove her laptop off her lap but it was too late. I was gone by then. _

_The night ended with her repeatedly saying I was an idiot for spending all that effort just to make her happy. Of course I had to tell her I'd do anything for her so she wouldn't be angry at me anymore. She teased me about missing her jokes and sarcastic comments, to which I didn't respond to. Instead, I gave her a chuckle. It was a good night for the both of us, especially since we ended up watching a movie together in the lounge. Before passing out with her fast asleep in my arms, I told her I'd always find a way to make her happy._

"Always, Skye." I said to no one but myself. I was suddenly pulled back to reality when my cell door opened. And six men in full tactical gear went in. One of them unlocked the cage door.

"Get up, Ward." The man told me. I stood up and then, he cuffed me wrists and my ankles.

"Where am I going?" I asked them.

"You're being transferred." Doctor Ornett entered the cell.

"Where?"

"To my facility."

I was then heavily escorted to the truck. I was expecting to see the outside of the building I was being kept in, even just for a few seconds while I was getting in the truck, but I guess they knew better than reveal the classified location to the prisoner. The truck was parked downstairs in the basement, so I didn't get a chance to see anything. As we drove off away from there, I wondered why I was being transferred. I didn't like my cell here at all, but I couldn't help but hope I wasn't going to be tortured in the facility. The idea of anyone playing with my mind to make me suffer was something I feared. There were too many bad memories to recall. I didn't want to do that. The only thing I wanted to remember was _her. _She was the only good thing I had in my life. I'd do anything to have her back.

I let myself tune out the world and get lost in memories of her smile and laugh.

_God I missed her so much._

* * *

**A/N: Still good? Okay. So, the next chapters will start to reveal the big threat so, I'll update as soon as I can. R and R! xx**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: First things first, has everyone recovered from the amount of Skyeward feels thrown to us from SDCC? Nope? Well, no one could recover from that and we all know it. *sobs* I read your comments and you wanted me to update fast so here you go! Please do pardon the location errors if there are any. I'm not from the US so Google Maps was my assistant in writing this. Again, sorry if there are any errors. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

CHAPTER 5:

_Skye_

"I have it." I declared to Coulson. He walked to me with the others following behind him.

"What was the encrypted message?" Trip asked.

"I'm not sure. I came up with two addresses and a name."

"A name?" May inquired, stepping closer.

"Yeah. Katelyn Brusso. Sound familiar?" I asked Coulson.

"Lyn Brusso…" He muttered. "She was head of the SHIELD Communications Department back in 2005. She quit her job and got off the grid."

"Maybe Fury has been in contact with her?" Trip suggested.

"For what?" Coulson wondered.

"Maybe she never did let go of her position in SHIELD." I said.

"We need to go to her." May declared. "Do you know where she is now?"

I turned around to my computer again. "One of the addresses came together with the name. 67th Ilteria Boulevard, New York."

"Wait," Trip interrupted. "How about the other address?"

Coulson read the text on my screen. "379 Fulton Avenue."

"Where is that?" May asked.

"Hempstead." He answered.

"I'll check the addresses and see where they are." I said to them while I typed in the first location. A map popped up in front of me. "Katelyn Brusso is located about two hours away from here." I sent the map to the printer and then typed the second location.

"The other one is a small Antique Shop. It'll take a little over an hour away to get there." I told them. Coulson thought for a moment. I wondered what Fury could've left us in an old shop.

"Any idea what the man could've left there secretly?" Trip asked.

"No clue, so I guess we're taking a road trip." Coulson stated.

"When?" I asked.

"We'll do it next week. We still have our hands full right now." He responded.

When we first arrived here in the Playground, Agent Koenig gave us a message from Maria Hill. She left us with a list of people who were loyal SHIELD agents and may be re-recruited. We've been going through towns and trying to contact them but most of them have gone off the grid.

"Okay. Who's going?" I asked.

"May and I will talk to Lyn. She knows us, but we don't know what exactly to expect when we get there. Can the two of you handle the Antique Shop?" He asked Trip and me.

I nodded while Trip asked, "What should we look for in there? How do we even know there's something waiting for us?"

"These are all from Fury. I'm sure whatever he left us would become accessible to us." Our team leader stated.

"Okay." I answered.

* * *

_Ward_

_56…57…58…59…60…_

It had been a total of three hours since we left the prison and I had no idea how much longer the trip was and I was getting bored. I've already counted how many screws there were inside the four walls of this container truck.

More minutes passed. Everything was just fine. But then, I was starting to sense that something wasn't right. I could hear shouting outside but I couldn't see anything. Then, out of nowhere, the truck stopped moving.

We were practically thrown across the small space at the back. I was beginning to worry. I had no idea what was happening and from the looks of it, neither did the guards. My breath hitched when gunfire started to ring out from outside. The guards all clutched their guns tightly. All of us jumped when the door of the back of the truck flew open but no one appeared.

"What the hell is going on!?" I asked, but of course, no one answered me. The men around me nodded at each other. One of them told me to stay inside while they proceeded to go out of the truck. I watched as they took their steps downwards and then started looking around.

One of them picked the wrong side to look at. In the next second, a man wearing black jeans and a black long-sleeved turtleneck appeared. The lower half of his face was covered with a black handkerchief and he wore a gray beanie. The men started shooting at him but he didn't seem to be affected by the bullets. Quickly, he grabbed the arm of the nearest person in front of him.

It was unnatural. Had I blinked, I'd have missed it. In one firm squeeze of the arm, the guard seemed to have been paralyzed with pain. The strong man used him to shield himself from the bullets.

_What the hell is happening!?_

I watched as blood suddenly burst from the arm of the guard. It started dripping from the part where the mysterious man was squeezing. The guard yelped in pain but was otherwise helpless. Another grab came to his side; a squeeze more and blood dripped like an open faucet again. He was tossed to the ground to bleed to death as the man responsible was advancing towards the rest.

There were three more guards and he stepped towards them.

"Three men, three answers." His voice sounded hoarse and was as if he was speaking through gritted teeth. He looked at the person at the right.

"Where is she?" He held up a picture but I couldn't see it. Though, my mind was desperately trying to block the idea that it was someone I knew.

The first guard stuttered in fear, "I– I– I don't know."

"Wrong answer," the man growled and went straight to the guard's throat. In one swift crush, his flesh opened and blood dripped from him as he fell to the ground. The man moved towards the next guard.

"Where. Is. She?" He asked louder.

"I– I don't know!" He yelped when the monster in front of him raised his fist. "We've never seen her before!"

His attacker paused before pulling out another photo. "Listen human, I want answers in the next minute otherwise you shall end up like your companion over here!" He showed the second photo.

"Who is he?"

The guard glanced nervously at his friend.

"Tell me!" The monster's voice roared.

"C–Coulson. Agent Phil Coulson."

My whole body tingled and suddenly felt the air leave my chest. _Who is this!? What does he want with Coulson!?_

"Very good. Where can I find him?"

"We don't know."

And in the next second, the guard's abdomen was punctured open and so, he bled to death on the ground as well.

"Please," the last guard begged with a cracking voice. "We only saw him twice when he visited the prison. We never knew where he went when he left."

"That is anything but useful to me." He raised his blood-soaked fist and the last guard shook in fear. "H–He's the new Director. I don't know anything else! Please!"

"This girl," the monster said. "Is with your director. I want to find her." _Block it. No. Block the voice. It's not her._

"I don't know where they are."

My heart was beating frantically. I could almost imagine my own face whitening in fear. And it instantly doubled when the monster turned his body to face me. I didn't dare move a muscle. He glanced back at the guard.

"Free him." He instructed.

The guard was still shaking in fear as he stepped inside the back of the truck. The sound of keys rattling in his hands and his short rapid breaths were the only things heard between us. When I felt the metal chains loosen around my wrists and ankles, I rubbed the soreness off and waited.

_Am I about to die too? I know deserve it but is this really the only way to receive that punishment?_

Slowly, the guard left the truck and stood a little distance away from the unknown man.

"Good. One last thing," He stepped forward and before his victim knew it, the blood had already splattered across the back of the truck and another body landed on the bloody ground.

I flinched for the nth time. What next? _Who_ next? Me? I knew I had no chance of fighting back this person, if it _was_ one. I wasn't sure anymore after what I've seen.

The man in question looked at me for a moment before speaking.

"Enemy of SHIELD?" He asked in the same constricted voice.

I nodded. Technically, that's what I was now. That's why I was here. Or, at least I was supposed to be in the facility.

"Who is she?" He showed me the photo and the air in my lungs suddenly disappeared. My whole body chilled to the bone.

It couldn't be. _No._

This was _her_ father. That would be the only explanation as to why he held a photo of her in front of me.

With all the blankness I could muster, trying my best not to show any hint of recognition, I answered, "I've never seen her before."

"And the man, Coulson?"

"He put me here." I answered truthfully, trying to make it sound bitter.

The man surveyed me for a few seconds before disappearing in a flash.

_This can't be good._

* * *

**A/N: Sorry if it's a bit short. I'll update real soon. Let me know what you think! xx**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Such a pretty good weekend for Skyeward shippers, eh? I have to say, it was very satisfying to see Chloe and Brett defend Grant Ward and also the pairing, and express how much they want them to be together. A lot of people, especially on Tumblr, suspect that they have somehow "found" our tumblr tag or fanfic page and have decided to destroy us shippers a bit by giving us the satisfaction of having gifs of the two of them hugging and being all dorky together and talking to each other or acting like they were in character and you know what I'm talking about. (If you don't, we have some serious talking to do.)**

**Like I said, it was a good weekend for Skyeward shippers. ;) ;) Note: This is me trying to be totally calm about this, but you guys already know how a shipper would react. But on a side note, I still have some rants left inside so if you want to rant with me, my inbox is open. **

**Okay so anyway, in the last chapter, we saw Ward's encounter with Skye's father so now let's jump to Skye's side of the story. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

Chapter 6:

_Skye_

"FINALLY!" I said, collapsing on my bed. I was beyond exhausted. I was pretty sure we've gone to around 50 different cities looking for those old SHIELD agents. We thought about splitting up the team to make the visits go faster but we realized only Coulson would be able to talk those agents into rejoining SHIELD since he was the boss now.

I looked at the clock on the wall and saw that it was almost midnight. I wanted to get some sleep already but I knew I'd hate myself if I slept in my day clothes, especially since these particular set had been through so many places. I'd wake up with a stench and maybe feel like a gross piece of–

"Skye?" My thoughts were interrupted by a couple of knocks on my door.

"Yeah?" I asked. The door opened and in came Jemma wearing a tired but happy smile.

"Did I disturb you or anything?" She inquired, looking worried.

"Oh, no! It's okay." I smiled at her. Jemma was always welcome in my room, but knowing her, she would still feel as if she kicked a puppy if she felt like she was intruding or interrupting anything.

She nodded and sat on the edge of the bed. I sat up and went near her.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Fitz has been improving." She smiled.

Fitz woke up a month after the incident that caused his coma. But then, as expected, his brain had been affected. For the first three weeks, he was always disoriented but awake. We tried talking to him but he couldn't seem to focus on anything. Eventually, Jemma had found a way to communicate with him even if he didn't do much of the talking. Jemma stood by his side and took care of him all this time. She had been really patient in helping Fitz recover and ease back into normalcy. He seemed to be responding the most when it was Jemma talking to him. I guess that's a good thing.

"Really? What did you guys do today?"

"I played scrabble with him." She told me. "He's been laughing and smiling a lot. He says he's starting to remember things."

That was the other thing. Fitz's memory had been affected by the drowning. When we asked him what he remembers, he just shrugged at us. We asked him if he remembers his name and he responded with a nod. We learned that he could remember things about himself, but only from before he joined SHIELD Academy. That meant he didn't remember SHIELD or the team or Jemma at all.

"Did he say what things?"

"He wasn't specific but he says he was starting to feel a bit of familiarity with me around. I think that's a start, don't you?"

"Of course. You're the one he's closest to. It's just right that you're the one he'll remember first."

She smiled. "I hope so. Well, I'll let you rest for the night. I heard you'll be gone again tomorrow."

"Yeah, one last Detective Hunt Mission before another set of orders comes in."

We both laughed. The job very much drained us all. There had been a few instances when Jemma would be stuck with one of us after having caught a fever or whatever. Of course we didn't want to add more on her plate given Fitz's current situation, but she would practically keep anyone who's sick on a leash and prevent them from going on missions.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning. Good night, Skye."

"Good night, Jem." I said as I leant forward to give her a hug. "And don't worry. Fitz will be back on his feet in no time if you guys continue this."

"I am counting on it." She said when we pulled apart. "I can't wait until things are back to normal, if they ever will be." She frowned.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay. Fitz is strong. He can make it through this. And with you right by his side, it's a sure win."

She smiled appreciatively at me.

"Or you know," I said, taking the perfect opportunity to add some humor around the air. "You can reconsider my suggestion of getting him a monkey and finally unlocking those memories of his…?"

Jemma burst out in laughter. "We are _not_ getting a monkey!"

I chuckled at her. Moments later, we said our goodbyes and Jemma left my room. I headed to the bathroom and had a shower.

Once I was done, I got into my bed and pulled the covers around me. Soon, my eyelids felt droopy and heavy until I finally drifted off to sleep.

* * *

As soon as I woke up, the first thing I saw through my closed eyelids was something bright. I briefly wondered if I was still dreaming. I blinked my eyelids open and squinted at the amount sunlight that was visible through the small gap between the curtains. I blinked a couple more times.

_Huh. That's weird. No nightmares._

I turned my head to look at the clock and saw that it was almost seven. I sat up and swung my legs to the side of the bed. Coulson would be knocking any minute to make me eat breakfast. Another long day was coming, but even though it was tiring, I was glad I was focusing more on my job than…

_Ward._

I promised myself that I would try harder to stop feeling so hurt. It was useless. All it did for me was to make me sad and angry and unfocused. I couldn't afford to be like that anymore.

I got up and went to the bathroom. A few minutes later, I emerged from there freshly-showered and all set for the day. I made my way to the dining room and found the others eating breakfast.

"Morning," Trip greeted as he sipped from his coffee cup and leaned against the kitchen counter.

"Morning." I answered.

"Good morning, Skye. Come and eat." Coulson told me. I made my way to the table. Fitz was there in his wheelchair, quietly munching on some pancakes beside Simmons. The biochemist smiled at me.

"Hey, Fitz." I tried to see how he would react and after a moment, I was relieved and glad to see a small smile forming on his lips.

"Hello," he said quietly.

I took a seat across Jemma and Trip took his place beside me. Then, I started eating. After a while, Coulson cleared his throat and pulled out his phone.

"May and I will be heading to Ilteria in an hour to go talk to Lyn Brusso. I estimate we'll be back during mid-afternoon. You two," he looked at us. "Can leave in hour as well to go to the Antique Shop. You'll probably get back earlier than we will."

"Yeah, we'll just keep each other updated." Trip added.

* * *

As agreed upon, the four of us were later standing in the middle of the garage in between the two vehicles. I loaded my backpack at the back and Trip loaded his next to mine. We both turned around to see Coulson and May turning around as well after doing the same thing.

"Call us the second you're there. I doubt we'll encounter any trouble but we're never sure." Coulson reminded us.

"Got it," I answered as I opened the SUV door.

Coulson opened Lola's door and got in.

"Watch your six." May instructed.

"You too." Trip replied who got in the driver seat afterwards.

"I wonder what sort of hidden treasure Fury left us with." I said while looking out the windshield.

"Hopefully a nice hologram message saying we can go to Hawaii for a vacation."

I scoffed and Trip chuckled at me.

"I thought you were done with vacation?" I pointed out.

"Doesn't mean I can't have another one." He answered smoothly. "Don't tell me you're one of those workaholic robots."

I inwardly cringed at his choice of words. I felt a small instinctive flinch waiting to be acknowledged from my body, but it wasn't that strong. I managed to stuff it down after a few seconds, but my silence didn't go unnoticed.

"Sorry," he muttered quietly.

"It's fine." I tried to reassure him but I knew the tension was already in the air. "I guess we could use that vacation after all."

"I call dibs on the Jacuzzi." He joked, and the air became light again.

"Call dibs on what you want, but I get the drinks."

"Whoa, easy there. I want to taste some classic tropical too."

"Drink the Jacuzzi then." I said and he rolled his eyes at me.

Being with Trip was always fun. The atmosphere always had a great amount of humor and playful banter. It was a good stress reliever after missions especially. After all, you could count on one person to come up with random ideas despite being worn out from a long day. There wasn't a time when I didn't roll my eyes from whatever Trip said.

"Man, I could use a whole box of Pepperoni Pizza right now."

"Seriously?" _Here we go again_. "You just ate breakfast! How can you be craving for food already?"

"Nobody said it was illegal." He pointed out.

I scoffed. "It should be for you."

"Look who's talking. You finished a tub of ice cream all by yourself yesterday."

"It was a long day." I countered.

"Man, your logic is–"

"Unquestionable." I cut him off and looked at him. He gave me an eye roll and we both laughed.

This was going to be a long trip.

* * *

**A/N: Feels are coming in the next chapters so I'll try not to keep you guys waiting. :3 Let me know what you think! xx**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hi guys! I apologize for the delay for this chapter. School's so hectic. The most important exams of my life are coming and I really do hope I pass them. So, I apologize in advance if I won't get to update as soon as possible but I promise you I'll try. ;) I also wanna say thank you to the people who send in reviews! I really appreciate them. 3 **

**So we got into an interesting part of the story already. Let's see where it shall lead on to. :) Hope you guys like this! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

Chapter 7:

_Skye_

We arrived at Hempstead at around 10:30 a.m., after a few dozen arguments with Trip involving work, food, and vacation. We stopped right in front of the Antique Shop. The street wasn't too crowded but a good few dozen people were strolling by. It seemed like a regular busy day for everyone. It was a good hiding place though. Not many people would suspect it.

"Geraldine's Antiques...sure looks like the place." Trip commented. Meanwhile, I was surveying the shops around.

"Yeah, we should probably head inside." I suggested.

"I can't park right out here. I'll have to find some spot to park this thing."

"I can go right ahead," I said while securing an ICER in my gun holster. I reached for my backpack from the backseat.

"You sure? We don't know what we're expecting inside there."

"I'll be fine." I said. "If there's any trouble, you wouldn't be too far anyway."

Trip seemed to be thinking about it. "Alright. I'll see you in a bit."

I got out of the car and walked towards the door of the shop. It looked harmless enough, but still, I couldn't help but feel uneasy. The air around me was kind of different, but I didn't know why or if it was just me.

_Just relax, Skye._ Maybe it was just the unfamiliar city getting to me. I reminded myself that I was now a field agent. I could handle myself and I had a job to do.

Taking a deep breath, I entered. The sound of chimes echoed throughout the entire room. The smell of old wood filled my nose. I looked around and tried to examine the things around me.

_Nothing out of the ordinary so far…_

"Good morning," an old lady greeted from the center of the shop. "How may I help you?"

"Hi," I greeted as I come closer. "Yes, um, I was wondering if you have this particular item."

"Do you have a picture?" The lady asked nicely.

"Um, yes," I pulled out a printed photo from my pocket. "Here you go."

The old lady took one look at the photo and her eyes immediately showed recognition. It was a photo of an old chest with a quote printed on it that says, "The past hides its secrets in the past."

I figured Fury, being Fury, had to make it cryptic and innocent at the same time. Who knew what sort of deep stuff circled around that man's brain?

The lady gave me a small smile. "Quite a piece you're looking for here, my dear. Wait here and I'll get your item."

She disappeared to the back room and I took out my phone. There seemed to be no signal reception inside, and Trip wasn't here yet, so I decided to wait until I knew what we were looking for before checking in with Coulson.

The lady returned, carrying a brown box.

"He left this for you." She opened the old box and I saw a couple of brown envelopes together with a _very _modern and high-tech-looking tablet.

_Definitely SHIELD and definitely Fury._

"What is it?"

"Your new weapons base," she answered. "Fully stocked, fully functional. It's only waiting for your visit."

_Impressive. A weapons base!? That is so cool. I can't wait to see it._

"Is that all?" I asked.

"Yes, but if I may ask, how did you know about this?"

It made me hesitate in answering.

"Oh I apologize. Of course, you wouldn't just blurt everything out, especially to a complete stranger."

I chuckled awkwardly.

"My name is Eula Yamken. I was head of the Weapons Division before. I retired, and Fury gave this place for me to stay at while my friend, Phil Coulson, suggested I start the business. I had been with SHIELD for over 60 years. But recent events caused everything I've dedicated myself to, to disappear."

"I'm Skye. I was a Level 1 agent before and now under Coulson."

"Where is he?"

"He's…handling other errands." I answered.

"Oh, then I shouldn't keep you here. I'll pack this up for you then you can go right ahead."

"I'll just step out for a moment," I said, deciding to go outside to try and contact Coulson and also Trip who seemed to be taking a while.

"Of course."

As soon as I was on the sidewalk, I dialed Coulson's number.

"What did you find?" Was his immediate question.

"He left us with a deed to a new armory. I'm guessing it would be really stocked up with cool toys."

"Good work. We could use the supplies. Anything else?"

"Nothing else. The lady here is named Eula Yamken…ring any bells?"

"Agent Yamken." May's voice was heard on the line. "She assessed me for Weapons Training back in the day."

"How about you guys?" I asked.

"We're half an hour away from Lyn. We'll call you when we get there."

"Okay–"

There was static between the lines.

"Trip still there wi– you?"

"No, I– ha– shop– whe– Trip–"

"Skye? I can't– properl– bad connec– call you–" Then the line got cut off.

"Hello?" I tried. "Coulson, are you there?" Nothing.

_Great. Now I don't have reception._

I looked around and then I felt it again–that uneasy feeling and uncomfortable air around me. It was making me edgy now, especially since Trip wasn't showing up.

_Am I being followed or something? Or watched? Maybe I'm just being paranoid. Jeez, when I find Trip I'm gonna kill him! Where the hell is that guy? _

"Skye…" A low and scarily unusual voice made me jump out of my skin. There was a man standing beside me, covered in all black clothes.

"Wh–who are you?" I backed up a few steps with my hand reaching towards my back.

"I have found you at last."

I was starting to shake in fear. I knew I should be thinking of escape plans to this situation but there was something about this person, if it was one, that made me paralyzed.

He started to step towards me, with his hand reaching for my face. My heart was beating furiously as I tried to step back more.

"Get away from me!" I tried swatting his hand away but his grabbed me by the arm when I tried turning around to run.

"Let go!" I shouted, and tried to escape from his grip. This wasn't a normal person. His grip felt stingy and painful against my arm.

"Stop." He pulled me more and I wanted to cry. All of a sudden, I felt so weak. I felt so helpless. What was happening to me!? All of a sudden my brain seemed to have stopped working. I couldn't process any of this. It was as if I was a small child.

The next thing I knew, a sharp object punctured the side of my stomach. My whole body was suddenly overcome with unimaginable pain. I couldn't move. I couldn't shout. Everything inside and out _hurt literally like hell_. It was like being burnt alive or stabbed with a million needles all at the same time. My head wasn't right anymore.

I heard was the blaring of car horns. I heard tire screeches. My vision swam and swam and I felt my body falling. When I felt my legs give out, my waist suddenly felt like it was torn in half. _No no no. I can't let myself be taken. I have to fight. I have to fight._

I tried to command my body to stand up and defend itself but I couldn't seem to do anything. It was like being paralyzed.

I heard my own voice whispering, "Let me go. Let me go."

It was very weak even though in my head, I was screaming with all my might.

"Help…someone…" Someone had to be around to see me, right? There has to be someone who had witness the scenario.

_Please. Anyone at all. Help._

My eyelids were half open and I could feel myself moving. I saw the bright sky, but afterwards, my vision became cloudy and the light was gone. Before the darkness enveloped my surroundings, I heard a frantic cry of my name.

Still, I was immobile.

_Oh no…what have I gotten myself into…_

* * *

**A/N: I'm guessing you could guess what comes next. Teehee. I'll post the next one as soon as I can! R&R! :) xx**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hey guyys! So sorry for not updating sooner. :( Busy weeks are coming and deadlines keep piling up. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Hope you guys like it! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

Chapter 8:

_Ward's POV_

_Shit. _

_This is not good._

_This is really not good._

Her own father's hunting her down now. That couldn't happen. She shouldn't be in danger. I needed to find her. But how?

And even if I did, how would she even react? I was still the enemy. I betrayed them as far as she was concerned. She'd never listen to me let alone let me protect her.

"Dammit," I said as I harshly smacked the steering wheel. How was I supposed to keep her protected? How was I even going to find her? I had no idea whether they were even in the same state or country as me.

I let out a frustrated sigh as I stared at the traffic ahead. I didn't know where I should start looking if I even should. She didn't deserve to be in this situation. Heck, I'd take it on me if only I could.

My car slowed down as I saw a yellow traffic light. I was still in New York without any clue as to what I should but constantly moving gave me a feeling that I had a goal, a destination, instead of being idle which I knew I'd never be able to stand. As if on instinct, I looked out my left window.

And that's when everything slowed down.

Standing on the side walk of the other street was the one person I thought I'd never find.

"Skye," I breathed out. A warm feeling flowed through my chest and I had to rethink whether this was real.

But there she was. As if no time had passed and yet, she looked different.

My heart beat became more rapid. I could go to her, tell her she's in danger. But wait. I knew I'd barely be a block away from her before she'd start running away. I needed to think of a way for her to just listen to me. What options did I have? Before I could start planning, however, my peripherals sensed someone that wasn't supposed to be there.

"Oh god. No," I gasped as I immediately recognized that full black attire. "Nononono. Skye!"  
The traffic light was still red. I was stuck in the midst of several cars.

_This is not happening. Not now. Hell, not ever. And certainly not her._

My hand furiously struck the middle of the steering wheel and the sound of a car horn blared so loudly. I was panicking. I didn't know what to do. He was going to hurt her. He had a needle in his hand. In a matter of seconds, she fell unconscious and he carried her body towards his escape vehicle. I felt like my whole self was being ripped in two as I watched the scene unfold. I was about to abandon the car and run to her when the light turned green. The cars all forwarded and I wasted no time in turning mine towards the street where Skye was. The vehicle was speeding up in front of me so I floored the gas pedal and the car zoomed forward. Not giving a care what damage I have to shoulder, I caught up to the vehicle's trunk and immediately turned the steering wheel to its direction. The front bumper of my car smashed against the back of the getaway car. We were both spun in circles as we tried to regain controls of our vehicles. But I was faster. I blocked the car's front to make sure he couldn't escape. The crowds started to notice us.

_Okay. He stopped. Step 2, get Skye without getting killed. How the hell do I do that?_

It occurred to me that this man wasn't so ordinary to begin with. The chances of me actually denting him were far from possible. But I had to try.

I went out of the car with a gun in my hand and the people surrounding the scene to watch quickly dispersed. I carefully circled around the front of the other car. Seconds later, two men appeared from inside. One of them was the one I encountered before. The other one seemed to be an accomplice. I just hoped he wasn't abnormal like the first one.

They both faced me and I tightened my hold on my gun. In my head, a dozen of escape strategies have already come and gone. I had only about three ideas in the end and none of them guaranteed that we would safety make it out.

The first unknowable man growled in anger.

"Human!" He said. "I recognize you, prisoner of SHIELD."

I remained silent.

"What reason would you have to be doing this?"

"Free the girl. You do not want her." I said firmly.

The man glanced at the accomplice and chuckled. "You do not know what you are doing. The girl is not as she seems."

"What are you going to do with her?" I was stalling for some time until I can figure out what my plan was.

"She is special as I'm sure you are aware. But tell me, prisoner, why have you come for her? Your intentions truly are intriguing."

"I told you, you do not want to take her."

The man turned very serious. "No one can stop me, especially not you."

I took that as my cue and shot the second man that was standing nearer to me. Relief flooded through me when I saw that he fell down dead. He wasn't supernatural, but the other one was.

"Free the girl." I said once more, aiming my gun to the attacker.

He didn't reply immediately. He looked down at the ground. A small mischievous smile appeared on his face. I grew a lot more nervous than I already was. I still had no idea if Skye was okay. I didn't know what he did to her but something told me he wanted her alive.

"You want the girl?" He asked me. "Fine." The way he was acting was confusing and suspicious. He was stepping away from the car. Both of his hands were raised halfway and he still wore that same smile.

I stepped closer towards the passenger door, still keeping my eyes on the man. I was afraid he would blow up the car and Skye would…

_No. Focus._

"You said you wanted her free. Well, remember this. Taken or not, your girl will_ never _be free of what haunts her inside. She is meant to be…a powerful ruthless creature, no matter what you try to do. And know this, I may not need to come back for her when she discovers who and what she really is. Do as you please, but her true nature will reveal itself soon and she will come crawling to the truth and away from the life you are trying to make her live." The hairs on the back of my neck were all standing as I listened to his voice.

He slowly backed away more until he had crossed the intersection of the streets and disappeared with a passing vehicle.

My head couldn't process all he said. Panic and fear was rising from me at such a fast rate but I had to focus. I could deal with whatever crap he threatened me with but right now, I had to get Skye to safety.

I quickly hid my gun in my back and opened the passenger door. I found her lying across the seat. She didn't seem to be fully alert or fully unconscious. Her eyes were closed, her breathing normal. But the moment I bent and touched her, her chest arched upwards and her breaths came in gasps. She was in pain and I didn't know how to stop it.

"Skye?" I tried calling but she wasn't coming to. I had to decide. I had to get her somewhere safe where I could look after her.

"I'm so sorry, Skye." Hating myself, I bent forward and grabbed her waist. Her reaction was instantaneous. I was putting her in so much pain.

"I'm so sorry. It's almost over, I promise." My own voice was constricted. I knew I was hurting her but all I wanted was to make it stop. As fast I could, I transferred her to my car and gently placed her across the passenger seat.

In a matter of seconds, I was driving away from the scene and heading towards a place where I knew I could keep an eye on her. I let out a sigh of relief as I got farther and farther away from that place. The words I heard earlier were gradually sinking in. It was a lot worse hearing it slower this time. Every single word was a threat. Every sentence was a statement that could be true.

But I never wanted to believe any of it.

* * *

**A/N: Don't forget to leave your thoughts! :) Next time, I'll do shout-outs because I really wanna thank some amazing people who really make my day after reading their comments. :) Hope I can update soon! xx**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Okay. I know you're probably all so mad at me for disappearing. I'm so so so sorry! :( I just finished taking one of the most important exams in my life. The last weeks had been pretty hectic because of those exams. It will determine my future HAHA. **

**Anyway, I cannot apologize enough for not updating. :( I promise I'll be updating soon now that I got one load off of my back. :)**

**Hope I can make it up to you guys! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

Chapter 9

_Skye_

So much agonizing pain. As soon as the needle went inside me, that was the only thing I felt. Everything was red. My head was spinning and my legs were giving out.

So much tormenting pain. I felt so weak and vulnerable. I couldn't think straight anymore. Something was reverberating in my ears like a really loud high-pitched scream. Then everything went dark.

It felt numb for a while. I didn't feel anything except the ease of falling asleep. I didn't hear anything anymore expect for a soft rumbling. What just happened? Was I okay? I thought I was, but the next wave of pain came without warning. I felt my own body react and I couldn't breathe properly. And it didn't stop.

_Make it stop, please. Please stop it. Please…_

When I came to, my whole body still felt like it was being poked by needles everywhere. I had no idea where I was but I could sense that it was somewhere warm.

_A bed. I'm on a bed. Why am I on a bed? Did the man kidnap me?_

I tried to flutter my eyelids open despite the painful complain I got in return. My eyes adjusted to the low light coming from my side. A yellow lamp was lit on top of a nightstand.

_What the hell? Where am I?_

I tried to move my head and raise it up slightly to give me a clue where I was. A low groan escaped from my gritted teeth.

_Okay. Stop._

"Careful," a voice said from afar. "You still have the drug in your system."

I gasped in shock. I could recognize that voice from anywhere. It belonged to only one person I knew. It belonged to…

"Ward," I whispered. How I wished that I could move freely. At least I could properly defend myself if I had to. At least I could be on my guard. But right now I was so vulnerable and helpless that I wanted to cry.

He didn't walk closer towards me. He stayed where he was and I couldn't see him properly. I hated it. I was sure he was smirking at my state right now. After all, he may have been the one who caused all of this.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

_What!? _

"As if you don't already know." I said bitterly. With all the strength I could muster, I pulled myself onto a sitting position.

"GAAAAH!" I cried out when the pain came. But now I could see him. And just as I sat up, I saw him step closer, as if he wanted to run towards me, but he stopped just as he took one step. I let my breathing go back to normal before I glared at him.

"Where am I?" I asked him angrily. "What the hell did you do to me!?"

"That wasn't me. That was…" Ward hesitated in answering and I wondered what he wanted to say. "It doesn't matter. You're safe here."

"Safe!?" I yelled. "I'm safe here where there's a criminal standing a few feet from me and I'm all drugged up!?"

He flinched at my words. _Good._

"Where the hell did you take me, Ward!?" I yelled again and for the first time, I looked around the room. It looked like an apartment but I didn't let that thought sink in. I didn't know what sort of setup they put me in maybe for torture or experimentation or whatever.

"You're in New York. My place." He said quietly.

"WHY!?"

"Someone…I don't know him…he was hunting you and he got to you back at that shop."

The memories came flooding back…The deed I was supposed to get…Calling Coulson…Then a man…

"Who was he?" I asked more quietly this time. I remembered the fear and vulnerability that swallowed me the second I looked at him.

"I don't know. His face was covered and I've never seen him before."

"Why am I here?" Did he…save me?

"It's a long story."

"Well then you better start talking." I said coldly.

He sighed and grabbed a metal chair from the side. When he sat down, he kept his gaze on the ground.

"Last week, I was being transferred from the SHIELD prison to a Mental Facility. Someone ambushed the van, killed the guards after interrogating them. The man wasn't ordinary. His hands were covered in blood. Maybe even his whole body, but I only saw his hands. He could punch through someone's stomach with one blow and cut open an arm with one scratch. He asked the guards about someone he was looking for." He glanced at me before dropping his gaze again. "He had a picture of Coulson and of you…He was looking for you. He let me go free and I knew I had to find you or Coulson. A few days later, you showed up at that shop and so did he. He injected you with a drug and you fell unconscious."

"So what," I cut him off. "You saved me?"

"I did what I had to."

I fell quiet, trying to process what he told me. I didn't even know if all of it was true. I knew the attack part was. But whether he had anything to do with it, I wasn't sure. I tried to remember what I could but no new memory popped up. I only knew what happened before the attack. Before everything…_Oh no._

"Trip," I breathed. _Oh no…_

"I didn't find him. I'm sorry." Ward told me and suddenly my anger fueled up again.

"That's it? You're sorry? See, unlike you, Ward, I actually care about the team and what happens to them. You shouldn't have left until you found him!"

"You were drugged, Skye. You were in pain and I needed to get you somewhere safe so I could look after you."

God I wanted to puke. "THAT'S NOT THE POINT. WHAT IF HE WAS LYING ON SOME STREET INJURED FROM THAT SAME MAN, HUH? DID THAT NEVER OCCUR TO YOU? DID IT NEVER CROSS YOUR MIND THAT YOU MAY HAVE JUST LEFT SOMEONE TO DIE!?"

"I had to make a choice."

"A choice? Well news flash, Ward, you made a wrong one. Again."

He stood up and shook his head. "Do you really think Trip would listen to one word from my mouth the moment he laid eyes on me? No. He'd shoot me on sight and kill me."

I laughed coldly. "Well it's certainly not my fault you're a traitor."

He took a deep breath and calmed himself down. "Look, you were the priority. I'm sorry but it's true and that's the only excuse I can give you. So, be angry all you want. I don't care. I did what I had to."

He advanced towards the door and went out. I was left still sitting on the bed. I felt a slight gush of relief when I realized I could walk out of here anytime, if only I could move normally.

This wasn't right. Why did he save me? How did he even do that if the man wasn't normal?

_What now, Skye?_

I needed to contact Coulson and ask if they were okay. I needed to tell him what happened. I wanted to get out of here. I shouldn't be here. And I shouldn't be with _him._

It has been more than three months since we defeated Garrett and locked up everyone in HYDRA. That was the last time I saw him but I was left with a huge hole in my chest. I took his betrayal the hardest because I felt something for him and for the longest time, I tried to forget it but now he was back. And I had no idea what I had to do.

Eventually, the tears began to fall down on my face again and I let them. I wanted to go back to the team. It's where I should be right now. It's them who should be protecting me and not him. I didn't want his help. I didn't feel safe with him and nothing could change that.

* * *

**A/N: I'm back now I promise. Expect an update soon. :D xx**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Next chapter up! :) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

Chapter 10:

_Ward_

I stormed out of there. I had to calm myself down. The rage was starting to build up and I didn't want to rage on her. I knew she wasn't being fair but I had to be patient. This whole thing was more than anybody could take in one day.

I returned to the room about an hour later. It was already eight in the evening and I came back with food. When I went inside, I found her asleep again. I quietly took out the food I got and prepared it while she slept. A few minutes later, I came nearer but still maintained about a meter of distance from the bed.

"Skye?"

She groaned but woke up and was instantly alert.

"I brought food. I figured you might be hungry."

"I'm fine," she said, turning her back to me.

"You need to eat something. You haven't eaten or drank all day."

"Like you care."

I sighed. Of course she'd be stubborn but I wasn't going to let her starve herself.

"Fine. I'll just leave the food." I went to pick up the tray and placed it on the other nightstand. I knew she wouldn't eat as long as I was there so I made an excuse to go out.

"I'm heading downstairs. Please eat something." I told her before leaving the room once again. I headed down to the gym and worked on punching for an hour and a half. I knew she couldn't leave because she was still too sick to move around.

I went back upstairs after a while. She was sitting up from the bed quietly. I walked towards the small fridge and opened up a bottle of water. I glanced at her tray and noticed that her food has been barely touched. I frowned but I let it pass. I didn't have any intention of forcing her to do anything she didn't want to.

A few moments of silence filled the room before she spoke. "What do you know about the man that attacked me?"

I gulped as I turned around to face her direction. I didn't want to be the one to break it to her who this person really was.

"Don't give me the pity face, Ward. Who was that man?"

I sighed. "I think he was…"

"He was what?"

I looked her directly in the eyes. "Your father."

Her expression froze, and then she laughed bitterly. "Of course," she muttered as she glanced at the window. "That's just perfect. My own father wants me captured and maybe even dead."

"But you're safe here," I reminded her.

"Am I?" She half-yelled and stood up from the bed. "Am I really safe with a HYDRA agent guarding me like I'm such a helpless child?"

I winced. I knew this conversation was going to pop anytime soon. She had to take out her anger on me and I knew that. I understood it, but if I could avoid it, I would have.

"You know I'm gonna hurt you."

She scoffed. "That's total crap. Haven't you already, Ward? Isn't that what you've done? Betray the team? Put us in danger? You know, I'm honestly curious, what it's like being a backstabbing liar? Knowing that the team who treated you as family was just another mission waiting to be stabbed in the back?"

"I didn't want to do it!" Her words made the rage slowly inch its way back under my skin, containing itself in my chest. "I didn't want to do any of it. You have to understand–"

"Understand what?" She cut me off. "That you were Garrett's golden boy-slash-little pet? Understand that you were just following orders?"

"I was."

"Ward, those orders were to hurt people who truly cared about you." Tears were now forming in her eyes and I got reminded how much I hated it when she cried. "Those orders were to completely fool the people who wanted to give you a break from all the loner work and experience being in a team. And you just felt it was completely okay to do that. What kind of person are you?"

I shook my head and stared at my feet. "I don't know. I don't know, Skye."

"Did you even feel the slightest remorse over what you've done?" She looks so disgusted at me. I couldn't bear it. It was the same look she gave me back when we were in the plane.

But I did try to think about that question. Did I really feel remorse? I knew I regretted losing something as precious as the team and _her. _Especially her.

"I can explain if you let me." My tone was practically begging. I wanted so badly for her to understand everything because I couldn't stand looking at her and seeing hate and fury in those brown eyes rather than joy.

"I'm not gonna listen to you make up some excuse about Garrett again. You've dedicated your service to some evil piece of crap who was responsible for I don't know how many deaths. That's on your hands too because you've been helping him all this time. How do I know this attack isn't yours too?"

"Skye, I swear this has nothing to do with me. You have to believe me."

"Believe you!? Do you know how much you're asking right now? You're a liar, Ward. You conned us all for months. You knew all along who had me shot and you let it happen. You knew who was torturing Coulson and you let. It. Happen. You're a sick person. You're weak. You're–"

She was cut off from speaking and looked like she was going to be sick.

"Skye!" I advanced forward but she backed away from me and ran to the bathroom.

_Dammit. Stupid. Stupid. I shouldn't have let her stress herself out. Dammit._

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" She yelled as her head lowered down to the toilet. I stood outside the door, wanting so badly to help her and take care of her.

"Please, let me help."

"NO!" She shouted. "Get out. I don't want to see you here."

I didn't want to, but I couldn't keep on pushing her. She wasn't in the best state right now and I might just make it a lot worse.

Minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom holding her head with her right palm. I went near the bed as she plumped down on the mattress. I had in my hand a bottle of water and a warm towel which I tried to give to her. She ignored me as I stood in front of her.

"Leave it. I don't need your help and I don't want it. I can take care of myself perfectly and as soon as I'm back on my feet, expect me gone before another day comes."

"Skye–"

"Ward, do not force me to walk out of here right this minute!" She glared at me. "Stay away from me. I don't need you to babysit me. I'm not some helpless child, alright? I don't want you near me. I don't want you looking at me like I'm some fragile piece of glass. I'm perfectly fine on my own."

"Alright. I get it." I placed the bottled water on the nightstand together with the towel. She lied back down while still holding her head.

"Here," I said as I dug out a key from my pocket.

"What is that?" She said as she eyed the small metal key I placed on the towel.

"A key."

"For what?"

"There's a box underneath this bed. All my weapons are there and phones too. There's a spare gun over there inside another box on the cupboard. It's locked with a number code which is engraved on that key. I can't open it without scanning the flat surface of the key and I'm asking you to keep it."

She glanced at me for a second before wordlessly turning her back from me. I took that as my cue and went towards the door. I dimmed the lights and locked the door. Then, I went to the small living room and took my place on the couch.

_This is going to be a long week._

* * *

**A/N: Am I off the hook yet for disappearing for too long? LOL! Hope you guys liked it! I will update as soon as I can but I'd be honest with you, I'm still working on the next chapter. I'll try my best! :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the delay. Currently dealing with Writer's Block :( Plus school. Again. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

Chapter 11:

_Skye_

I shouldn't be here. Of all people who could rescue me it had to be _him. _Why did it have to happen this way?

It had been around a few hours since we last spoke before he took his place on the couch. I could hear him softly snoring. Meanwhile, I couldn't even shut my mind off for a minute to get some rest. My head was pounding and I felt like I've caught some stomach flu.

I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already nearing two in the morning. I turned to my other side and sat up. I peeked across the room again and saw him in the same position. I quietly took the bottle of water and drank from it. Then, I noticed something I didn't see earlier. My black backpack was sitting on the floor. I took it with me to the antique shop and luckily, it had some spare clothes inside. Ever since we've settled into the Playground, Coulson had sent us off to several on-the-road missions and some of them took unexpectedly longer than a whole day. We had to pack up a few clothes now and then in cases like that.

I then got up from the bed and rummaged through the bag. I took out some clothes and quietly went inside the bathroom. I locked the door and proceeded to clean myself up, taking my time in doing so.

* * *

Close to an hour later, I got out of the bathroom. I looked at the sofa again. Ward had turned his back on me but I knew there was a big chance he was awake. I didn't care what he did as long as he didn't go near me. I was going to walk out of here as soon as I could, but I still had a lot of questions. He never really did explain what happened because I couldn't stop the hate from getting out. Since I knew he was awake, or probably awake, I rearranged my expression to a blank but fierce one and mustered the guts to talk.

"Ward." I called. Just as I suspected, he turned around in the next second and looked at me with a confused face. I folded my arms across my chest.

"Everything okay?" He asked as he moved to sit up on the couch.

"How do you know the man today was my father?"

His eyebrows furrowed as if in concentration and sighed. "I don't know much except from what…Raina told me before."

His voice sounded like he was so disgusted at the thought and it puzzled me. I plumped down on the edge of the bed and looked expectantly at him.

"She told me about these creatures who massacred a province in China just to look for a baby girl." He glanced at me.

This part of the story, I knew. I already knew I was an 0-8-4, but I had no idea who it was that was after me and tried to capture me before SHIELD does.

"Who were they?"

"I don't…know exactly. She didn't say anything specific but that you're…" He cast a hesitant look at me. "You're not…from here."

I almost rolled my eyes but I managed not to.

"But you already knew that, by the looks of it." He added, eyeing me inquiringly.

I kept my gaze at the floor. Should I tell him? I wasn't sure that I wanted to, after what he's done to us. Why should I give him another piece of information he could use against me?

"Why didn't you tell me?" His voice sounded different this time that it made me look at him directly.

I bit the inside of my lip and tried to think of the safest answer I could give.

"I–I didn't think anyone should know, besides me and Coulson."

"Why?" He wondered.

"I don't know…It didn't seem like your typical left-at-the-doorstep-story so I didn't want to risk anything or anyone until I know more. As far as I'm concerned, I'm technically an alien that has unknown abilities. I didn't think it was a good idea to broadcast it." I said honestly. At that time, I didn't want anyone to know about me for fear of their reactions. I myself was scared to be put in some underground containment facility by SHIELD if they found out. And I didn't even know much about my history, so I wasn't sure what to tell the team.

"When?" He didn't need to continue the question.

"After the incident at The Academy with Donny," I answered. "Coulson and May retrieved some leads and they followed them."

I wondered if he noticed anything off about me after that day. I knew I have acted a bit differently and a lot more seriously, so that might have set off some bells. But then again, each one of us was focused on finding Ian Quinn and…

My thoughts trailed off once I realized the end of the tunnel was something involving someone that was already sitting across from me.

"Is that all?" I asked, referring to what he knew.

He frowned in thought and then, nodded slowly.

"Okay." I stood up and turned around. I walked along the side of the bed, deciding that I should try and get some sleep. Minutes later, I felt my eyes droop heavily.

This whole arrangement was far from okay for me, but I wasn't exactly trapped or forced to be here either. Maybe I could just let this night pass and then in the morning I could start planning what I wanted to do.

I had to leave this place as soon as I could. It wasn't right; to be rescued by the one person I wanted to distance myself from and eventually forget all about. But the universe just led me right to his face and I honestly didn't know what to do.

Three months have passed already and all that time I've been trying to move on from what he did to the team and how much he hurt me…

But I couldn't forget no matter how hard I tried, that I once felt something for him. I might have even fallen for him, but right now I didn't know if I really did because every time my mind would stray to that thought, all the hate comes back and I wouldn't be able to revisit that idea again until I've cooled down.

And today just brought that thought back up again. I always ended up feeling like my mental being was splitting in half again and the debate continuing on whether I should remember the feelings or not. I couldn't stop the memories from popping up but there was always so much hate attached to them. Even when what I wanted was simply to have a civil conversation, I would get reminded of how much he had hurt me. When I wanted to thank him for what he's done, I would get reminded of what he did to the team and to SHIELD. It was an unending conflict of wanting to feel versus wanting to hate so that I could move on.

It was ten times harder now that I was faced with him in this situation. The conflict was getting more and more complex because I _couldn't_ choose a side. I tried to tell myself I needed to forget but I also didn't want to. And when I tried telling myself I should, I began asking if I wanted to.

And that was the million dollar question.

How did I want to feel? After all that's happened?

My mind was overworking again and I had to be focused come later this morning so I could think of a plan. Eventually, I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: Hihi hope you guys liked it! Reviews will be appreciated. ;) xx**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hi guys! Just finished my finals in school. Second term starts next week. But for now, I have some time to rest. :) Here's the next chapter. Again, I'm sorry about the delays. Still working on the next chapter so, forgive me haha. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

Chapter 12:

_Ward_

_Your girl will _never_ be free of what haunts her inside. _

_She is meant to be…a powerful ruthless creature. _

_Her true nature will reveal itself soon _

_Away from the life you are trying to make her live…_

I jerked upwards from the couch, my head dripping of cold sweat. I looked around and saw Skye still curled up on the bed, fast asleep.

_Calm down, dammit. She's still here. She's fine._

I let out a heavy breath and stood up. The clock informed me that seven minutes already passed since 8 in the morning. I went to the bathroom to take a shower. While in there, the scene I dreamt of replayed in my head again.

I didn't tell her about that part yet but I knew I had to eventually. She would want to know the whole story and she had a right to.

I looked up at the mirror and saw my own frowning tired face. I told myself that whatever decision Skye makes today, I had to accept it. I doubted that she would want to stay here, and I couldn't blame her. Even I knew how much she wanted to get rid of me, and I couldn't help but agree.

I was another problem to her. Things got complicated because of me and I accepted that. It would be hard on my part but should she want to leave, I wouldn't stop her. She was smart enough to make her own choices. I was just another piece of help should she want or need it. But apart from that, what else was there when it came to me? I was either the enemy, traitor, and criminal, or a protector.

I just wanted her to know that the "or" existed. I wanted her to know that I could still help her in hiding. Despite all that has happened, she should know I would still do everything in my power to keep her from harm.

I sighed before opening the door and stepping outside. I looked to my left and saw her still asleep. I might as well make some breakfast while I was waiting. I was in no hurry for her to tell me that she was leaving, so I just let myself go with the flow. If this really was the last time I would get to see her for a long, long time then I had better hope time decided to slow itself down.

* * *

About ten minutes later, I heard a door close. I turned around from where I was standing in the mini kitchen and saw that the bed was empty. My eyebrows met together in confusion. The toaster dinged and I retrieved two slices of bread and placed them on a plate. Since I was done, I walked to the bedroom, wondering where she went off to.

I was about to call her name when all of a sudden, the bathroom door flew open and revealed a still sleepy-looking Skye. I sighed in relief.

"Hey," I greeted.

She gave me a slight nod.

"You alright?"

"Fine." She said automatically.

_Right. No treating her like a child. I can live with that._

"There's breakfast on the table." I jerked my head towards the dining.

"Okay." She replied as she walked to the table.

The tension was thick in the air but it was better than raised voices and constant fighting. I let her take her place in the table and went off towards the living room.

"Aren't you gonna eat?" I blinked in surprise at hearing her voice.

I turned around to face her and gave a small tight smile. "Um, I already ate."

She nodded and then we both proceeded to do what we wanted. I knew that eating together would add more awkwardness between us so I just let her be on her own. I sat on the couch and turned on the television to kill the deafening silence. It had been a good twelve minutes of staring at the screen despite not paying attention to whatever movie was playing.

I was about to change the channel when I heard Skye approaching. I turned around just as she stopped by the other end of the sofa.

"I want to talk to Coulson."

I turned off the television and sat up facing her.

"He hasn't heard from me since yesterday and I doubt you contacted him already. And since I'm here, the least I could do is to let them know I'm okay."

I shrugged. "Okay. You have the key to the box, don't you?"

"Yeah." She replied.

I nodded and then proceeded to walk towards the bed box. It was upholstered with synthetic leather which made it look normal enough. The design at the side had a few stitches and tucks, giving the appearance that it was just one piece of leather covering the whole box. But in reality, one of the portions divided by the stitches was removable.

I carefully pulled that one sector of the upholstery. Skye came closer to see what I was doing. As soon as I removed the piece of leather, there revealed a square hole. I reached inside and pulled a black box. I placed it on the bed and stood up, stepping a few strides away.

"There you go."

"Open it." She instructed, throwing the small key to the mattress.

I could understand she was being cautious so I obeyed. A second later, the box was opened and I was stepping away again but she made me stand right there.

"No," she said. "Get the Satellite phone and contact Coulson."

"Shouldn't you be the one–"

"Just do it, Ward." She said, crossing her arms on her chest.

I did what she told me. "There, it's ringing."

She seemed to be satisfied with that so she grabbed the phone from me and I left her alone in the bedroom.

"Coulson?" I heard her voice ask. "Yes, I'm okay. Look, something happened at the shop and I– What? What do you mean? Wait, what happened?" She asked. "Are you safe? Don't worry about me. I'm safe here– Why not? But– Coulson? Coulson?"

_This can't be good._

* * *

"Are they okay?" I asked.

"No," she first said then she added, "Yes. Kind of."

"What do you mean?" She looked so worried. I wondered what has happened now. I was looking at her expectantly, waiting for her explanation. Before anything came out of her mouth however, her expression changed.

She first looked at me confusedly, and then she turned shocked, as if something had clicked into place. When she looked at me next, she looked like she was past angry.

"Ward, you fucking bastard." She said through gritted teeth.

I stood up suddenly, taken aback at her sudden reaction.

"Whoa, what did I do?" I asked stupidly.

"WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO!?" She screamed. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT WITH ME AND THE TEAM!?"

"What!? What are you talking about!?"

"THIS!" She threw her arms open. "This was another play, wasn't it? To isolate me from the team? And now they've been compromised too? Just tell me what HYDRA wants with me now!"

"Wait, wait, just slow down, please!" I begged. This was not how I wanted this morning to go.

"STOP PLAYING!" Tears were forming in her eyes again. I couldn't bear it anymore.

"I AM NOT PLAYING, SKYE! I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. CAN YOU JUST PLEASE BREAK IT TO ME SLOWLY?"

"THE TEAM'S LOCATION HAS BEEN COMPROMISED!"

"What– How?"

"DAMMIT, WARD. STOP ACTING LIKE YOU'RE INNOCENT!"

"I AM NOT ACTING. I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH WHATEVER HAPPENED WITH THE TEAM."

"OH YEAH? HOW DID THAT HAPPEN THEN?"

"How did what happen?"

"IT'S SO CONVENIENT. I GET ATTACKED BY A MYSTERIOUS PERSON AND THEN KEPT IN THIS PLACE AND THE NEXT DAY, MY TEAM'S ON THE RUN BECAUSE OF SOME GANG THAT BOMBED THE BASE!"

It became clear that she wasn't going to cool down so I had to be the first one.

"Calm down. I'm telling you I had nothing to do with that."

"I'm sick of the lies, Ward. I can't believe I was stupid enough to fall for this again."

"Skye, please don't jump into conclusions. I don't even know what it is I had supposedly done this time!" She had to know. She had to know I wasn't playing another act. She had to.

She glared at me for a few more moments, shaking her head repeatedly. Neither of us spoke and I wanted so badly to know what set her off all of a sudden. From what she told me, the team was on the run because the base got bombed. But how could she think I had a part in that?

_Because you were HYDRA, you idiot._

I sighed. I had a feeling she was about to storm out and I reminded myself that I wasn't supposed to stop her, even if it meant she wouldn't get the whole truth. She deserved to know it but that wasn't something I had a chance to give to her anymore. I was the liar no matter what happens. Anything and everything I say would make her doubt me.

She was looking around, as if trying to make sense of whatever's running through her brain. I could hear her breathing coming in short gasps. _She has to calm down. She's panicking._

"Okay," I declared, raising my hands halfway. "Calm down, please. I'll do anything you want me to. Just please calm down."

I just waited. She could grab her things and walk out of here already. She had the phone in her hand and her backpack was a few feet away. She could run any second now. And I wouldn't stop her.

I felt terrible. It was like waiting for a bomb to explode in your hands. My instinct would be to chase after her the second she stormed out but I had to stop myself. I had to contain the urge to make her listen to what I had to say.

Decided on what to do, she backed a few steps until she could reach her backpack. Her glare didn't leave me as she reached for something inside her bag.

A second later, she produced a pair of metal bar cuffs, like the one SHIELD used.

"Cuff yourself to the window bars, slowly." She commanded. "Don't you dare move from there."

I did what I was told and locked one end of the cuff around my wrist and the other around the metal bar of the window.

Then, she walked to the side of the bed. "You said phones and guns," she said, motioning to the box on the bed. "Where are the guns?"

"Other box underneath." I responded and watched as she retrieved another black box that was heavier.

Then, she took the key and opened the container. She got a handgun from the set of weapons and a pocket knife, which she concealed at her waist.

"I'm gonna ask you again, Ward." She loaded a mag into the pistol. "What is HYDRA planning? Tell me or I will shoot you in the knees right here."

"I don't know." For a second there, she looked like she was about to do it, and all I could do was hope and wait.

But then, out of nowhere the phone rang.

* * *

**A/N: I will try to finish the next chapter as soon as I can! Leave a review if you want. xx**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry again for not updating so often. Having trouble balancing school and writing fanfiction. :( Hope everything's well with you guys. AOS is coming back real soon! GAAAAH. I can't wait! :D Anyways, hope you enjoy this new chapter. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

Chapter 13:

_Skye_

I stepped back a few steps until I was within three feet of the bed. I didn't dare let my gun down. Without tearing my watchful glare at Ward, I picked up the ringing device and placed it against my ear.

"Skye?"

"Coulson," I breathed a sigh of relief. "What's going on?"

"We don't know everything yet."

"What the hell happened to the team?"

"We were on the way back to the Playground with Lyn. We thought everything was fine but someone was following us."

"What? Who?" I asked frantically.

"We don't know. And we're not even sure they were exactly…human."

My eyebrows met in confusion.

"Did you figure out what they wanted from you?"

"They bombed the base." Coulson said regretfully.

"Oh god," I said as felt another gush of pain in my head. I lowered my gun down and kept it by my side. "And Koenig?"

"We didn't see him when we tried to get away from there."

"Who are these people!? Are they–"

"Hydra?" He asked, finishing my sentence for me. "I don't believe so."

"Why not?" I wondered skeptically. "What makes you so sure? After what they've been doing for the past decades?"

"Skye, when we took out Garrett's group, we managed to collect all their Intel. All their information about different bases across the world, weapons archive, they all became ours when we scraped the place. This wasn't mentioned in any of their files."

"How do we know it wasn't kept a secret by not listing it on their documents?" I asked, continuing my circular pacing.

"We didn't need to look into it. It was listed, but it wasn't Hydra's." He told me.

"What do you mean it's not Hydra's? Then whose is it?"

"SHIELD's." He answered.

The back of my right hand reached my forehead. I was starting to sweat in anxiety and panic. This was too much to handle.

"But that can only mean Hydra hid it inside SHIELD's database to prevent suspicion."

"Maybe, but something made us rule it out."

"What?"

"It was part of SHIELD's classified information files."

"Regarding what?"

"Your origin."

I stopped pacing. I froze on my spot. My eyes shut for a few seconds and I had to remind myself to try and regulate my breathing. My heart was racing and I could feel the pain in my head and my chest again.

"We have reason to believe the people behind this are alien."

I listened to his words and they slowly sunk in. "And they're after me."

"Skye," Coulson began. "We'll come and get you. We're currently on the run, but Lyn knows of a safe place where we can stay at and hide for the mean time. Where are you?"

I didn't answer immediately, wanting to think this through.

"Skye?" Coulson called.

I seemed to have made up my mind because the next thing I knew, I was going against Coulson.

"No," I said.

"What? Skye–"

"Coulson, if this person or whatever is really after me, then I can't go into hiding with you and the rest of the team."

"You're being ridiculous. We stick together."

"I'll put the team in danger if I stay with you. I can't do that, Coulson. I'm sorry."

"Wait–" He said, and I heard shuffling sounds.

"Skye?" It was May this time. Coulson had passed the phone to her.

"May," I began. "Look–"

"No, listen to me. I know you don't want to endanger the team that's why you're choosing to isolate yourself from us."

"If something happens to the team, I'd never forgive myself." I sighed on the phone.

"I know. And I respect your decision–"

"What!?" I could hear Coulson's voice from a distance.

"Phil, please." May told him.

"Look, we both know you might not change your mind about this."

"Maybe not." I replied.

"But that won't stop us from helping you and protecting you."

"May–"

"You can have it one way only, Skye. Either you come with us and let us protect you, and find out who these people are."

"Not gonna happen."

"Then we work together. Don't isolate yourself from us. We're still a team, Skye. You are still part of this team no matter what happens. We care about you and we want to protect you. And you want to protect us."

I could feel the sting of tears behind my eyes.

"We don't have to fight over this. We'll make it work, but that would require you cooperation. Do you understand?"

"Yes," I said nodding. _God, I miss the team so much. I want to go back home._

"Okay, then we work separately but still together. We gather what we can about this people while we protect each other."

"How do we do that?"

"We both hide. Once we gather leads, we'll contact you."

"What's my part then?"

"Keep yourself safe."

I didn't want to seem so useless but I had no choice. I didn't want to go back to another base to investigate this, and only put the team in danger. I could still work from my end.

"Okay," I answered.

"Are we good then?"

"Yes, we are."

"Good. Here's Coulson." There was silence before I heard AC's voice.

"Skye," He said. "Don't do anything that will put you in danger. I don't like this compromise between you and May but I can't force you to come with us either."

"It's okay, Coulson. I promise to be safe."

He sighed. Coulson was always worrying about me, and I figured this was a really difficult situation for the both of us.

"Take care, Skye. We'll talk soon, alright?"

"Alright. Be safe."

I hung up the phone but still held it in my hand. I sat on the edge of the bed, thinking about what my next move was. Then I remembered I still had a gun in my other hand. I glanced at Ward, who remained quiet by the wall, waiting for the verdict.

I swallowed thickly, chewing on my inner lip, before shaking my head and standing up. Wordlessly, I placed the handgun under my shirt. I locked the boxes containing the guns and the phones, and placed the key inside my left jeans pocket. Then, I turned around and crossed my arms.

Ward only stared at me, waiting for my decision. A hundred thoughts and countless mind debates ran through my head, trying to decide what to do with the person standing in front of me.

Finally, I let my mind decide and I was reaching for a key in my right pocket. I turned it multiple times in my palm before looking up. I pursed my lips and then looked at Ward.

"Whether I'm committing the stupidest mistake again, that's up to you to prove. Whether I'm that stupid, that's also up to you to show." When I finished, I threw the key towards him and he caught it immediately.

Then, without warning, I stormed out of the room.

* * *

I wasn't aware where I was headed exactly. I just kept walking until I was at the lobby of the building. I stopped just as I saw the doors. I remembered I just promised Coulson and the team that I'd stay safe. I couldn't loiter around the streets. I turned back around and started walking again.

A few minutes later, I found myself hugging my knees, leaning against the wall beside the door that led inside. I was looking blankly in front of me. I could hear the sounds of the busy streets below. The cool wind was passing by. I was sitting on the floor of the roof top of the building. I didn't know how long I had been there but I wasn't making any move to go back inside.

I closed my eyes and leaned my head back as I let a memory replay in my head.

_I was running around the backyard and my adoptive sister was running behind me. Olivia, who I used to call Livy, was about the same age as me. I was nine years old and I had this new family. They picked me up from St. Agnes' a day before and I was so excited. Livy was very happy to see me and her parents were very nice to me. _

_Livy's family made me feel like I belonged there and that I was part of them now. In my head, it was like I had been with them all my life. I was so happy living there. _

_That's why it was so confusing to me when I saw the lady from the Orphanage coming through the front door. Livy and I waited in our shared room and pretty soon, her mom and dad came knocking. They were wearing smiles but something told me I wouldn't be smiling soon._

_Then, the news came and suddenly I was leaving the nice house. Livy was crying loudly beside her mom. I was walking towards the St. Agnes' van that I knew all too well. My hand was held by the lady and my gaze was towards the family I was leaving behind._

_I couldn't understand why they couldn't keep me. I thought they liked me a lot. I thought I had a family already. _

_I stepped into the van and quietly took my seat, not bothering to look at the window anymore. I didn't cry, just like the last time. It seemed that I'd never fit in with any family, no matter how happy I seemed to be when I stayed with them. _

_"Good to see you again, Mary." Sr. Beth greeted me from the front seat. _

_I gave her a tight smile and kept my head down for the rest of the trip._

* * *

Those were the goodbyes that hurt the most. I'd feel so happy and then suddenly reality came in and told me that the time was up.

But when I was all grown up, it was different. I didn't look for my family anymore. I learned to be on my own so that no separation issues could hurt me. But SHIELD came. The team came. And for the first time, I believed that nothing could hit me in the face and tell me I couldn't be part of this family either. I was accepted by the team and I enjoyed being with them.

And I thought it would be the start of a real complete life.

It turned out to be a lie instead.

* * *

**A/N: I know it's a bit dramatic. Haha. :) Hopefully I can finish the next chapter soon. Leave a review! xx**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hey guys! Wow I didn't realize I was gone for so long. So sorry! I hope you guys are still with me with this story despite the usual delays. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

Chapter 14:

_Ward_

I gave her a couple of hours to be on her own. She needed space and I could understand how much of a burden it was to have to deal with all of this. At around eleven, I decided to look for her. If she was still in the building, I needed to talk to her. But if she left, then I had no choice but to wait until she returned.

But I had a feeling she was still here. I climbed up the stairs that led to the roof top and opened the door. At first, I didn't see her. But when I looked around, I found her sitting against the wall.

"Skye?" I called her. She didn't look at me. She kept her gaze on her shoes so I went forward. I crouched down beside her and saw the dried tears on her cheeks. The area around her eyes was also puffy.

It was a huge risk, but I decided to act on instinct. My hand gently touched her left arm, which caught her attention. I looked directly into her eyes.

"Why don't we go inside?"

She looked so tired of everything. I felt sorry for her, but I knew she wouldn't want to be treated like a pity case.

It took a few seconds before she nodded at me and I went to pull her up. We walked back to the door and I let her go first. Once we were on the same floor as my apartment, we made our way towards the room.

She immediately went for the bathroom without saying a word. I sighed and sat on the couch. I really wanted to help her, but I wasn't sure how I could.

Minutes later, the door opened and Skye came out, holding a face towel. She closed the door and went to sit on the side of the bed. I waited for her to talk. I didn't want to force her to open up, but I could feel she needed to voice out whatever she's feeling and thinking.

"I guess this means you won't try to kill me anymore?" She asked, with a tone that sounded both bitter and accusing.

I felt the corner of my mouth twitch into a small sad smile. There was no right answer to that so I remained silent. I heard her sigh and saw her palms wipe her face tiredly.

"I don't know what to do," she whispered. I still kept my silence.

"You're right," she told me quietly. "There's a big chance the guy who's after me is my father."

She paused again before continuing. "And I don't know what to do." She stood up and moved to sit on the edge of the bed that was facing me.

"What did Coulson say?" I asked.

"They want me to come and hide with them somewhere but I don't want to. It would put the team in danger."

"How did Coulson feel about that?"

"He's not exactly thrilled about it. May gave me a compromise."

"Which is?"

"To hide on my own but keep contact with them, which looks like my best option right now."

I nodded. "So what's your plan?"

Her shoulders slumped. "I don't know. I have no idea what this guy wants with me, but he seems persistent on finding me. And from experience, I don't think he'll stop until he gets what he wants."

"I just," she continued. "don't want to think that he wants to bring me to some place. Some place where I supposedly belong. And I don't want to come with him."

"You won't."

"Ward, it's not exactly that simple. This isn't just some invitation I can turn down."

"I know that."

"Then how am I supposed to go about this? The last time people tried to hide me, a village got massacred. I can't have that on my hands again."

"I understand."

Silence ensued between us.

"Will you help me?" She asked in a voice that was barely audible.

I looked at her. "I told you, I would do anything to help you if you let me."

She looked down again. "But why? Why are you so willing to help me? Especially after what happened between–" She seemed to hesitate before completing her thought. "What happened between the team and you."

"Because if I had the slightest chance to change how things ended, I would take it." I admitted. "Following Garrett, doing whatever he asks me, killing people–none of it mattered to me. And joining the team with an agenda was the same thing. But the effect of having certain people around me? That was entirely different. And I couldn't stop it from changing me. Hell, I wasn't even aware of how much I've grown close with the team. It may have been just a mission at the start, but I realized that I long surpassed the required relationship that I came to establish. It became more than a mission. I eventually learned to care, to have my team's back, to protect them, to loosen up. But I wasn't supposed to because I knew I wouldn't be able to do anything about it once it was there. I wanted it to stop so that it wouldn't affect you all much but it didn't. And later, I found myself wanting to come out with the truth but I couldn't. I owed Garrett so much that I didn't question his orders. I followed every command, even if it would hurt and possibly endanger all of you. My actions took its toll on me eventually and I started to question why it was so hard to control the emotions this time."

"Why do you feel like you owe Garrett so much? What did he do for you?"

"He rescued me. I was a teenager who was facing prison for burning up my house where my older brother was. Garrett came and pulled me out of there. He asked me to join him, and I did. I had been with him through the years."

"But?" She inquired. "Judging from the look on your face, I don't think he really rescued you."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Maybe not." I admitted. "He left me in the forest with my dog for months. He said he'd return to see if I'd survive on my own. After that, he recruited me to Hydra where everything started."

"When we got to Providence, you were with Garrett, right?"

"Yeah," I answered. It seemed so long ago.

"The blood and bruises, that was his work, wasn't it?"

"Yeah."

"And I'm guessing that wasn't the first time he did that to you?"

"No," I replied.

"Then how come you stayed with him?"

"I guess I still let myself believe that I owed him my life. That's why I let him control it. But the effect of sending me to the team was something neither of us could control."

"Why?"

"Because of the emotional attachment, I guess."

"So…the team did manage to break the robot after all?"

I smiled. "I guess so." I felt my smile disappear. "It was just my fault for making all the wrong decisions."

"Look," she called. "This thing or these things going on around us are beyond complicated. Your terrorist organization just destroyed the one thing that was protecting every human being. Now, there's nothing and no one except a few people left that can still rebuild the shield of the people. That's just one part. Now here comes my alien dad hunting me down, which may also lead to another destruction of some sort. He's capable of that, as we both know." She glanced at me. "What I'm saying is, there aren't many people I can go to about all this, and technically, you're not supposed to be included in that list."

I sighed. Maybe she was saying all these because she was going to tell me finally that she was going to hide on her own.

"But," she began. "I'm not entirely against an agreement."

I frowned in confusion. "What are you saying?"

"I haven't forgiven you yet, Ward." She reminded me. "But you said you wanted the chance to change things. I don't trust you and I could be fooled again, but right now you have a chance to do what you want. Betray me or help me, that is not my call anymore. I can do this on my own so I don't really care which choice you pick. But if you really want to stop making the wrong ones, you'll know what to pick."

She stood up and tossed me the key to the boxes earlier. I caught it smoothly before eyeing her expectantly.

"So, what would it be?" She asked me.

In other cases, I would've gladly stayed away from her. So she could forget about me and move on with her life. I hurt her so much and it was only fitting to keep my distance. I had too much darkness inside me and yet here we were. She didn't need me, truth to be told. I knew she had survived going through countless storms and she had come out of each of those stronger and braver. Nothing could stop Skye. That was one of the things I truly did admire about her…She kept going and going, working hard with a goal in mind. She was always so driven, and yet, when she needed it, she wasn't afraid to ask for help.

And now she was asking for mine. I let out a breath and I felt the corners of my mouths twitch into a small smile.

"I don't think I'd be able to say no." I said gladly but also truthfully, before adding, "Skye."

"Good," she replied. "We got work to do, robot."

She then turned around and went to grab her bag. With her back turned, I let a smile form on my lips.

* * *

**A/N: Well what do you know? Our babies managed to stick to each other after all! Hahaha! :) More are coming in a few. Leave a review, my dears. xx**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: AOS is coming back in a few days! Can't wait for all the feels again. LOL! Anyway, happy reading! I hope I didn't make any errors again. :D **

***Italics - Flashbacks**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

Chapter 15:

_Three Weeks Later…_

_Ward_

The elevator dinged and the doors parted open. I stepped out and started walking. The hallways were quiet. It seemed everyone was out for the night. Either that or they were already sleeping. Two turns later, I finally reached this specific pale olive green door. I dug out my keys and opened it. As soon as I stepped into the room, my eyes automatically tried to adjust to the darkness inside. Only a bit of light coming from the small laptop on the desk could be seen. I reached for the light switch on the wall to my left and flicked it upwards. I soon realized why there was a significant lack of lightness.

Skye was sitting in front of the desk, but had her head down and buried in her arms just beside the laptop. From what I could tell, she might have dozed off in the middle of her work sometime earlier when the sun was about to set, thereby was not able to turn on the lights.

I walked towards the desk and stood right behind her, sighing. Then, I reached out and nudged her on the shoulder.

"Skye?" I said. "Wake up."

She slowly started moving and sat up straight.

"Argh dammit!" She complained as her hand reached the back of her neck. She massaged it for a few minutes before turning her chair toward me.

"Hey," I greeted, lifting the brown take out bag and showing it to her. "Brought food."

"Yeah, I can see that." She said before yawning. She stretched her neck once more and muttered, "I hate getting stiff neck."

"Then maybe you should stop sleeping on desks and start sleeping on a proper bed?" I suggested while taking out the contents of the paper bag. Even without looking, I could feel her eyes rolling in response.

After I finished taking out two boxes of Chinese food, some dim sum, and drinks, I handed one box to her and she took it.

"Seriously," I urged on. "When's the last time you've had a good and proper sleep?"

"What do you mean?" She said while opening her box and grabbing a pair of chopsticks. "I do sleep at night."

I laughed. "Yeah, no you don't." I replied, grabbing a chair from nearby and pulling it towards myself. As soon as I sat down in front of her, I started eating as well.

"Yeah I do." She countered as she ate.

"No," I retorted. "You work until around two in the morning and then you sleep for about four hours until you start working again."

"Something wrong with that?" She asked.

I shrugged. "Well, I'm just saying. You should take a break and get some proper rest."

"I'm fine." She responded.

"Doesn't look that way," I muttered.

"Well maybe not to you. But I feel fine." She said. "Besides, there's nothing more important than what I'm trying to do."

"Except maybe I don't know, taking care of yourself?" I countered.

She scoffed. "Are you really gonna lecture me on my sleeping habits?"

I glanced at her and she looked like she really didn't want to hear it from me. "Guess not."

"Good."

We then proceeded to enjoy our meals in silence. It has been three weeks since Skye decided to hide here. She had been working on her laptop for the past weeks, just as she promised. It hadn't exactly been easy but things have adjusted and not all mornings involved shouting contests eventually. During the first few days, Skye liked to pretend I wasn't here at all. It was always "Leave me alone" or "Let me work." I of course gave her the space she needed. Most of the time, I went out just to avoid the tension in the room. She never asked where I went and I didn't bother telling her anything except, "I'm heading out" every time I wanted to.

Then, one morning, she finally spoke to me and told me there were a couple of incidents somewhere and the report said bodies were fatally injured, and they died due to severe blood loss and caused by serious blows. The police also said the injuries were something unusual because of the strength supposedly required for one person to be able to do all that with his own hands. Nothing was said on television, perhaps for fear of mass hysteria that a ruthless murderer was on the loose.

Still, Skye thought that one way of tracking this alien was to monitor the police and try to see if anything related to what happened would turn up. And on that day, it did.

_"Police found three bodies today." Skye said to me. _

_I turned around to face her and expectantly looked at her._

_"They were all seriously and fatally injured by someone and apparently the cause was internal bleeding. They autopsied the bodies and the injuries were reported to be extremely unusual."_

_"Why is that?"_

_"They said the attacker would've been using steroids or something to be able to cause that much damage to a person."_

_"You think the attacker's the same guy who attacked you and me?"_

_"My father," she declared. "Yes, possibly." _

_"You should probably tell Coulson. Give him the location of the attack. If any new attacks come in we can track where he's been going and where he's heading to."_

_She nodded at me before proceeding to her laptop._

Over the last three weeks, there had been a total of three reports following the same M.O. The police never found any trace of their attacker but we had a feeling it was still the alien. Coulson and the team had been updated and kept in the loop throughout the whole thing.

"Found anything new?" I asked as finished my meal.

Skye nodded. "Another report today."

"Any affiliation with SHIELD?"

"He killed an old agent."

That made me look at her in surprise.

"But it was HYDRA so, no problem with that."

"Oh." I shrugged. I was hoping by now she already trusted that I wasn't turning back to HYDRA anymore.

"Does Coulson know already?"

"Not yet. I'll tell him tomorrow morning."

I nodded in response. Once we were done eating, I offered to clean up but Skye shook her head.

"I got it," she told me.

"Alright."

I was glad things were starting to get better and to ease up between the two of us. I could only count how many times Skye has given me the hate face over the past weeks and I was certain I didn't want to keep seeing it. I knew she still hated me and I was in no position to argue that she wasn't being fair. If I'd be honest, what we agreed on now could be the closest chance I would get to still being around her, even though I shouldn't be.

* * *

**A/N: Tell me what you think! Will upload the next chapter in the next few days. AOS is so near! Better start buying ice cream pints and tissues! xx**


	16. Chapter 16

**Spoiler Notice! I don't spoil anything on A/N's but I do rant about the emotional damage. :D**

**A/N: Ha. Haha. Hahaha. I am so messed up. *sobs* Anyone want to cry with me? I just watched the episode recently. I've been so busy. Another couple of life-changing exams came this weekend and that's why I've been so occupied. *sigh***

**But seriously. Someone. Cry with me. Or just rant. We all need hugs. Like A LOT of hugs. :( If only I could, I'd love to meet everyone aboard on this ship. :( But anywayss, here's another chapter and I hope you guys like it. AOS is back so please please hang tight. This season would hurt a lot and our ship will be going through some serious shit again. Let's survive this, aight?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

***Italics - Not flashbacks. They're audio.**

* * *

Chapter 16:

_Coulson_

The new base wasn't exactly as nice as Providence or the Playground. This time, it looked more of an actual hideout than the other bases did. Nonetheless, we had no choice. This was the only place we could stay at that wasn't compromised yet.

"Phil?" A voice called from outside my door as two knocks were heard.

"Come in," I said, straightening my tie in front of the small mirror by the wall. The door softly opened and May stepped inside the room.

"Skye called," she told me. "She's setting up a call on the monitors in a few minutes."

"I'll be right out." I heard the door close again and with one last look at my own reflection, I headed out of the room.

I proceeded to walk to the main living area which we mentally agreed to be the command center. As soon as I arrived, I saw that the others were already there. Lyn was setting up the computers and Trip was helping her. FitzSimmons were on one side, talking rapidly once again as they waited. Not a minute later, the computer beeped and an alert for an incoming call appeared on screen. Trip handed Coulson an earpiece with a microphone.

"I'll put her on speaker. Just use that one for the mic." Lyn told me and I nodded.

"Okay, you're on."

"Skye?" I called.

"Coulson," She said in reply. "Everything going well over there?"

"Nothing new on my end," I responded. "We've gotten all the intel you sent over. He obviously travelled far."

"Yeah," Skye answered. "And fast, too. We can't be certain where he's headed next though. He's switching states within days."

There was a momentary pause before Skye spoke again.

"Hold on, I'm getting something." She said.

"What is it?" May asked.

"My computer's been programmed to filter all police reports across the country. And I think something new just popped up. Give me a few seconds."

All that was heard was Skye's typing. I saw Trip and Lyn edge closer to the center of the room. Everyone was waiting for what Skye's report.

"Coulson," A while ago her voice didn't show any sign of worry but now, it was evident.

"What's wrong?" In a split second, a video feed appeared on the computer, complete with audio.

Police sirens, gun shots, explosions, and a lot of shouting could be heard. Everyone around me went nearer towards the small screen.

_"We need backup right now! Three officers are down! I repeat, three officers are down! Send in backup right now!"_

There were more gunshots, but the mysterious individual was obviously unfazed and unaffected. As he moved towards a car that was right in the middle of the street, the police tried to open fire once more. But when the man lifted the car with apparent ease, the NYPD froze.

_"Get back! Get back! Take cover!_

Then the said car flew in the air and landed right on top of one of the police's car.

The man growled in anger. _"YOU CANNOT ELIMINATE ME!"_

_"Wester," _one of the officers called._ "We don't have enough gun power to bring this guy down."_

_"I know."_

There were staggered and short breaths before another one of them spoke.

_"Collins," _the officer named Wester addressed his superior._ "We need bigger guns, or else we're all going down in less than five minutes."_

_"Heavily armed backup is on the way. Contain the damage. Don't let this guy get away and start hurting people."_

_"Copy."_

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. We've seen footages; we've read all the reports. But watching the actual scene unfold in front of us was nothing compared to any of those.

The man on the video yelled in anger once more. All the police units have maintained a somewhat safe distance surrounding him. However, they seemed to be the least of this raging monster's concerns. Suddenly, the latter seemed to have spotted the man filming behind the camera. Without warning, he stormed towards the innocent guy and stood a few meters away from him. He seemed to have stopped there but he was directly looking at the camera.

The tension in the air around us was thick from the anticipation. Then, the man spoke.

"_SKYE!" _He growled, making the hairs on my neck stand up. "_REMEMBER THE LAST TIME."_

Then, he strode forward and we heard a strangled grunt and watched as the camera fell and the feed died.

It took a minute, maybe two, before someone finally spoke.

"Skye, I want you out of the city before noon tomorrow." May said seriously.

"WHAT?" Skye said in disbelief.

"You heard her," I added. "I want you out of there immediately. It's not safe anymore. You're too close to where this guy is."

"You mean my father." The tone of slight annoyance could be heard.

I sighed. "Yes, your father."

There was silence on her end.

"Fine," she said after a minute. "But I'm bringing someone."

"Bringing someone? Who?" May asked.

"It's better you saw for yourselves when I get there."

I glanced at May and she gave me a knowing shake of the head.

"Alright," I responded, still looking at May. "I'll send you the coordinates. Do you need a car?"

"I got that covered."

"Copy that." I let out another breath. "Skye?"

"Yeah?'

"Be careful." I told her. "Watch your back."

"You too." She said in a quieter voice before we heard the call end.

"You didn't tell her." Trip pointed out.

"No," I agreed. "If she finds out before she gets here, she'll never agree to stay."

I saw May sigh beside me. She wasn't too happy with my choice, but with everything that was happening right now, we didn't have much of a choice. There was a lot going on that Skye doesn't know yet. I didn't want to lie to her, or hide the truth, but it was for the best. She was in too much of a danger and the moment she decides to put more things on her plate, protecting herself would be something she'd put behind everything else.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for cutting it short. I have more to come, I promise. *Sigh* I think every heart of every AOS fan just broke after that episode and I apologize if you're reading this and you haven't watched it. Please do watch already but make sure you have your fort of pillows around you. **

**Well that's it. Leave a comment or a rant about the first episode of the season. I'm still amazed that we got a second season. I'm so glad this pain won't be ending yet. Ha. Haha. *more gross sobbing* xx**


End file.
